THURSDAY
EDITION:
Nothing to do with
ham radio but do you
remember Hulk
Hogan's daughter,
Brook? ...Connecticut
Governor Ned Lamont
has released an
official statement,
designating April 16
– 22, 2023, as
Amateur Radio
Recognition Week.
The proclamation
coincides with World
Amateur Radio Day (WARD),
which is held
annually on April
18. (cost of a cup
of coffee still the
same at Dunkin
Donuts)....Reconnecting
with my
Straight Key!.....American
IQ's Are Dropping.
Here's Why It
Might Not Be A Bad
Thing
CL0Ccontest
station will operate
from a privileged
location on the
North coast of the
Matanzas Province,
CUBA (IOTA NA-015).
Operators list
includes CO2DSE,
CO2II, CO2KL, CO2KR,
CO2LKY, CO2TK,
CO2QU, CO5DOR,
CO5MK. (Technical
Antenas Advisor,
HK1A Davisd)
For second time
in History, a
station with the CL
prefix (CL9C CQ WPX
2003), will
participate in SSB
CQ WPX contest 2023.
This prefix (CL)
is ?
This time we will
join asMULTI
TWO LOW POWERcategory,
using vertical
antennas (20m, 15m
and 10m) and dipoles
for 80m and 160m
bands.
Special
thanks to HK1A,
David for his advice
on the assembly and
adjustment of our
antennas. https://www.qrz.com/db/HK1A
Amateur Radio
Included in FEMA
Guide for National
Emergency
Preparedness
The
Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency (FEMA)
has released a
final version
(March 2023) of
the National
Incident
Management
System (NIMS)
Information and
Communications
Technology (ICT)
Functional
Guidance. The
guidance, which
provides a
framework for
communications
resources within
incident
management,
officially
includes support
from amateur
radio operators.
The expanded
Communications
Unit (COMU)
structure now
includes the
Auxiliary
Communicator
(AUXC) role,
which covers
personnel from
services that
provide
communications
support to
emergency
management,
public safety,
and other
government
agencies. This
includes amateur
radio.
NIMS
guides
government,
non-governmental
organizations,
and the private
sector to work
together to
prepare for,
respond to, and
recover from
disasters and
other
emergencies.
“This is a major
step in the
recognition of
the need and
usefulness of
amateur radio
and other
communications
services in our
national
preparedness,”
said Josh
Johnston, KE5MHV,
Director of
Emergency
Management for ARRL The
National
Association for
Amateur Radio®.
“It also gives
official
guidance to pave
the way for
future training
and education of
volunteers in
ARRL’s Amateur
Radio Emergency
Service®
(ARES®),”
Johnston added.
WEDNESDAY
EDITION:
Why are we allowing
so much shit to be
launched in space
just because they
can?....If I had a
dime for every goof
who asked how my
audio is, I would be
a rich man.
Especially annoying
when someone buysa
$300 mike for his 2
meter fm radio
thinking it will
help...Dodge
certainly did not
disappoint with the
announcement of the
7th and final "Last
Call" muscle car at
Las Vegas Speedway:
The
2023 Challenger SRT
Demon 170. 0-60
in 1.77 seconds and
only $100k.....
Satellite built with
$20 CPU and 48 AA
batteries tests
method to reduce
costs and space junk
Satellite should
fall out of orbit
much more quickly
than most
In context:When
most people think
about space
satellites, they
probably imagine
large assemblies
costing millions. An
experiment from
Brown University
seeks to upend
traditional
assumptions about
satellites by
finding ways to
build them cheaply
and without leaving
behind space junk.
New data from a
satellite built by
college studentsshowsencouraging
signs that could
lead to cheaper
satellites and less
space junk. One
3D-printed
component, in
particular, could
contribute
significantly to the
fight to keep the
space orbiting Earth
clean.
Students and
faculty from Brown
University started
the project in
collaboration with
the Institute on
Atmospheric
Pollution of the
National Research
Council. Italian
aerospace company
D-Orbit,
AMSAT-Italy, La
Sapienza-University
of Rome, and the
NASA Rhode Island
Space Grant also
lent support. Its
name, SBUDNIC, is a
play on the Russian
Sputnik 1 satellite
and an acronym of
the participants'
names.
The craft is a3U
CubeSat(about
10x10x34.05cm) that
delivers
low-resolution
images from orbit
with a total budget
of around $10,000.
Almost all its
components are
available from
either Amazon or
ordinary hardware
stores.
The processor
controlling the
satellite is a $20
Arduino Nano BLE.
The entire control
system, including
the CPU,
motherboard, and
other parts, costs
just $175. A ham
radio-based add-on
handles
communication, 48 AA
batteries provide
power, and the
students 3D printed
a drag sail that
acts as an altitude
control mechanism.
The students
designed the sail to
dramatically
decrease the
satellite's maximum
lifespan, which
could become a
method to ensure
space junk falls out
of orbit more
quickly. Space
debris, comprised of
either
out-of-service
satellites or
jettisoned spaceship
parts, has become a
growing threat to
anything we launch
into orbit.
One project
engineer estimates
that most satellites
stay in orbit for
decades, even long
after we no longer
need them. The
SBUDNIC craft should
fall out of orbit
within five years.
The satellite
launched on the
SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket last May,
deploying the sail
at an elevation of
520 kilometers.
Public Air Force
Space Command
tracking data shows
that the Brown
University satellite
is accelerating from
its companions and
approaching reentry.
So far, SBUDNIC's
orbit has decayed to
470km. In
comparison, other
small devices
launched on the same
rocket still orbit
above 500km.
TUESDAY
EDITION: A
beautful day on the
island, picked some
fresh scallops up
off my friends
dragger last night,
doesn't get any
fresher than
that.... DUBAI,
United Arab
Emirates:
Over 1,000 wide-eyed
students at GEMS
Jumeirah College in
Dubai were treated
to the ultimate
space lesson on 7
March when Emirati
astronaut Sultan Al
Neyadi connected
with the school via
live radio
transmission from
the International
Space Station
orbiting Earth. Al
Neyadi took the time
to answer students’
questions, speaking
on a variety of
topics, ranging from
what inspired him to
pursue a career as
an astronaut and how
he prepared for his
current mission, to
what it felt like to
enter space and what
work he will be
carrying out during
his time on the
Space Station. The
incredible
opportunity to speak
and interact with
the UAE space hero
came about when
Christopher
Greenfield, a
science teacher at
Jumeriah College,
contacted Amateur
Radio on the
International Space
Station (ARISS), an
organisation that
specialises in
connecting school
students with
astronauts on board
the Space Station.
MONDAY
EDITION: George takes
to the swamp for a
50 Kilowatt 'Tales
From The Transmitter
Site'.
Tommy explores
BlueDV OTG. Mike
builds a dual band
Yagi for working the
satellites....
Your phone
"goes off" at
0200 hours,
rudely awakening
you just in time
to cut short a
dream about a
day on the lake
with some old
friends. You
gaze blearily at
the screen in
your fogging
headed effort to
decide who or
what should be
cursed to
blazes. "Oh,
another Amber
Alert!", you
think. Then,
"Like at 0200,
who is going to
start driving
the streets
looking for the
missing kid of
the week." Then
again, maybe
you!?!
In
Texas, 2022,
there were 262
"missing people
alerts". Most
states have at
the least an
AMBER alert
program; Texas,
not to be
outdone by
anyone, has six
categories which
cover missing
kids, seniors,
military, the
generally
endangered and
those who
threaten Law
Enforcement
Officers (LEO).
Not quite 1 per
day but about 5
a week. Luckily
your phone
doesn’t blow up
for every alert.
You sigh and
yawn. You think,
“Shouldn’t
someone do
something about
this?”
Yes, Amateur
Radio Operators
should.
It is clear that
the need is real
and that it is
constant. How
could we
conceivably make
any difference?
Would that even
be possible?
We have the
numbers. Texas
has about 54,000
hams. If 10%
participated in
just one-of-each
of these cases
then we’d add
about twenty
pairs of eyes,
radios and a
significant
amount of
attention to
each search
event. (Think
what it would
mean to a family
just to know
that ham radio
operators were
actively
conducting a
"search net";
out looking for
their child.
Would this make
the news? You
bet it would.)
The same is true
for you, your
group and your
State!
We
have the time.
Listen in on
your local nets
and repeaters;
most hams just
talk about the
weather (though
some go out and
spot it), their
declining health
and numbers and
some gripe about
politics. Am I
right? Of
course, I’m
right!
Do
you and your
club want to
give back to the
community in a
significant way?
Is preparing for
a calamity just
a bit to
abstract or ‘in
the future” to
keep your
interest. Is
passing traffic
that doesn’t
really have any
real sense of
urgency or
purpose, getting
somewhat
tedious? Then I
ask, what could
be more
significant than
someone’s
missing child,
or their grand
parent who’s
wandered (this
is the term,
'wandering') off
from the nursing
home? How about
passing traffic
from field
deployed amateur
operators to
local law
enforcement
about the status
and progress of
an AMBER alert
search team? Do
you want "Real"
? For a family,
searching for
their lost
grandparent or
child, this is
the very
definition of
Real; the need
is almost every
day.
Here
in NTX, we’ve
kicked off the
ASAP. You don’t
have to be from
Texas (but it
helps). It is
just as relevant
a subject/need
in your state.
Stop by our
various pages.
We’re posting
net procedure,
template logs,
guidance,
instructions and
doctrine
online. https://mewe.com/join/ambersilveralertnetprogramasap
Lastly.
Do you want to
know the answer
to how you get
"young people"
involved in ham
radio; the
answer is berelevant.Relevant
means to "have a
significant and
demonstrable
bearing on the
matter at hand."
That is to say,
we need to
influence,
effect change,
improve, and
better the world
around us. If
not this, then
find some other
way to make a
meaningful,
positive
difference.
If you buy an
amplifier, think
twice before tuning
it up wrong....
WEEKEND
EDITION:
Cold and dreary day
here, good for 10-15
meter ssb fun.....
An Eruption on The
The Far Side of The
Sun Was So Powerful
Its Shockwave Hit
Earth
The Sun has been
spitting out some
pretty powerful
eruptions in the
last few weeks, but
one that took place
a few days ago is a
real doozy.
On March 12,
Sun-monitoring
spacecraft recorded
a huge amount of
material blasting
away from the far
side of the Sun from
a coronal mass
ejection. Detected
as an expanding
cloud, or halo, of
solar debris, it
raced away from the
Sun at exceptionally
high speeds of 2,127
kilometers (1,321
miles) per second.
The Sun spitting out flares and coronal mass ejections is nothing new, but this one was something special.
Usually, eruptions on the far side don't tend to hit Earth, since they're facing the opposite direction; but this one was so intense that satellites orbiting our planet picked up the signal of particles from the eruption accelerated by the eruption's shockwave rightinto our corner of space.
It might seem like the Sun has been getting up to some shenanigans recently, and, well, it has. It's heading into the peak of its cycle – a roughly 11-year loop in which the Sun's activity peaks and declines. We're heading for solar maximum, likely in the next year or two, when the Sun is most active, crawling with sunspots and erupting with powerful flares.
These cycles are linked to the Sun's magnetic field, which reverses polarity every 11 years, although why it does so is something scientists are still trying to figure out. This polar flip takes place at solar maximum; the magnetic field at the poles weakens to zero, then re-emerges with the opposite polarity. North becomes south, south becomes north.
During this time, sunspots appear in large numbers. These are temporary patches on the Sun with stronger magnetic fields, the lines of which often tangle, snap, and reconnect. When this occurs, a tremendous amount of energy is unleashed in the form of a solar flare. These can sometimes producecoronal mass ejections, in which tons of material and magnetic fields are ejected from the Sun out into space.
At time of writing, there are around100 sunspotscurrently on the Sun, some of which are clustered into sunspot regions. Some sunspot regions can last a long time, repeatedly flaring, before disappearing from view as the Sun rotates.
A few
days
prior to
the
recent
CME –
given
the
unusual
designation
of
R-type,
for rare
– a
particularly
active
sunspot
region
rotated
around
to the
far side
of the
Sun.
Before
it
disappeared
on 4
March,
the
region
named
AR3234
emitted
(in
ascending
order of
power)
49
C-class
flares,
12
M-class
flares,
and 1
X-class
flare –
the most
powerful
kind of
eruption
of which
our Sun
is
capable.
Whether
AR3234
was
responsible
for the
R-type
flare is
not
known;
it's
certainly
plausible.
But
solar
scientists
are
definitely
keen to
know
more
about
it.
Luckily,
the
Parker
Solar
Probe
was
right in
the line
of fire
for the
CME. It
sent
back
signals
to Earth
telling
Parker
engineers
that its
systems
are
nominal;
now we
just
have to
wait for
the next
download
of
Parker's
data to
read
measurements
of the
flare.
That
will
take
place
after 17
March,
when the
probe is
due for
a close
solar
flyby.
In
the
meantime,
we can
only
hope
other
solar
observatories,
such as
NASA's
Solar
and
Heliospheric
Observatory
(SOHO)
and
Solar
Dynamics
Observatory
(SDO),
and the
European
Southern
Observatory's
Solar
Orbiter
(whichrecorded
a
powerful
far-side
coronal
mass
ejection
last
year),
also
collected
a
significant
amount
of data
on the
event.
It
will be
nice to
learn
more
about
what our
Sun gets
up to
when it
thinks
we can't
see it.
Tornado
Season and
Amateur Radio
Tornado
season is fast
approaching, and
amateur radio
operators will
again play a key
role in helping
the National
Weather Service
(NWS) issue
accurate and
timely warnings.
In fact, March
through May is
considered the
most active
period for
tornadoes to
develop.
The NWS reports
there have
already been 255
preliminary
filtered
reported
tornadoes and
213 confirmed
tornadoes in the
United States in
2023. Worldwide,
nine
tornado-related
deaths have been
confirmed, all
of them in the
United States.
January saw
the
third-highest
number of
tornado watches
and confirmed
tornadoes of any
January on
record in the
United States.
Additionally,
the first two
months of the
year saw the
fourth-highest
number of
confirmed
tornadoes for
the first 59
days of any year
on record.
The SKYWARN®
(weather.gov)Storm
Spotter Program
is available to
anyone
interested in
helping the NWS
track and report
potentially
dangerous
weather. Anyone
can become a
SKYWARN weather
spotter, and the
information is
available at the
SKYWARN website.
Most states have
amateur radio
networks that
are activated
during severe
weather. Trained
volunteers use
their radios to
report rapidly
changing
activity and
share the
information with
local weather
offices. A list
of the states
that have
scheduled
special weather
awareness
activities can
be found at theNWS
Awareness and
Preparedness
Calendar
(weather.gov).
The NWS
Forecast office
in Norman,
Oklahoma, uses
amateur radio as
one method of
communicating
with spotter
groups and
emergency
management
organizations.
For decades,
amateur radio
operators have
provided
invaluable
service in
support of the
SKYWARN storm
spotter program
by using their
unique
communications
capabilities to
share critical
information
between the NWS,
the local
emergency
management
officials, and
storm spotter
networks.
In 1999, the
NWS, along with
ARRL, founded
SKYWARN
Recognition Day
to honor the
voluntary
contributions of
thousands of
amateur radio
operators who
play a critical
role in keeping
the public safe
and informed
about severe
weather
conditions. The
day is
celebrated on
the first
Saturday in
December, and
amateur radio
spotters can
earn awards for
participating.
The 2022 NWS
Spotter of the
Year Award was
given to Bryan
Loper, WX5CSS,
of Atlanta,
Texas. The award
noted that Loper
is very active
with the amateur
radio network
and weather
community within
the
Arkansas/Louisiana/Texas
region, and is
always reliably
providing
weather reports.
Loper is an ARRL
member.
To learn more
about amateur
radio licensing
and SKYWARN
visitARRL.org.
Amateur Radio
Newsline Report
SEVERE WEATHER
UNDERSCORES HAMS' OF
VITAL ROLES
PAUL/ANCHOR: Our top
story brings us
tales of extreme
weather on both
coasts of the United
States. These severe
conditions have
served as a reminder
of hams' vital roles
during these
challenging times.
Randy Sly W4XJ
brings us up to
date.
RANDY:
With
life-threatening
floods, heavy rain
and snow in
California and
severe winter storms
barreling through
the Northeast,
amateurs involved in
emergency
communications in
the United States
were hard at work
recently providing
support to emergency
management officials
and other
organizations such
as the Red Cross.
While offering
assistance to served
agencies, these hams
were also bringing
about an additional
benefit: increasing
confidence in the
amateur radio
service. For
example, in the San
Joaquin Valley area
of California, the
Tuolumne County
Amateur Radio
Emergency Services
was asked to assist
in passing traffic
via ham radio in the
Emergency Operations
Center. Daniel Sohn,
WL7COO, San Joaquin
Valley Section
Emergency
Coordinator, told AR
Newsline that the
group was invited to
assist as a “work in
progress” training
exercise to
distribute
announcements on the
air and solicit
Situational
Awareness as eyes
and ears of the EOC.
He also reported
that Amateur Radio
Service volunteers
have been alerted
for potential
deployment by either
the Sheriff’s Office
or County OES
Officers in other
counties as well.
In addition,
hams across the
Northeast, if not
working in SKYWARN
nets, were
self-activating in
order to provide
reports of strong
winds, snow fall and
damage reports to
the National Weather
Service.
Remembering the
health and safety of
“Self and Family
First,” amateurs on
both coasts are
proving their worth
now and for the
future during severe
weather events.
This is Randy
Sly W4XJ.
(DANIEL SOHN,
WL7COO, NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE)
** 2-YEAR
ADVENTURE TESTS OUT
'REMOTE'
DXPEDITIONING
PAUL/ANCHOR: A
two-year journey is
well under way for
two hams from the US
on board a catamaran
crossing the South
Pacific Ocean. They
have two missions to
accomplish and Kevin
Trotman N5PRE tells
us what they are.
KEVIN: George
Wallner, AA7JV, and
Michael Snow,
KN4EEI, left Costa
Rica in late
February, setting
sail and getting on
the air as KH7Z/MM -
the callsign for the
Dateline DX
Association. They
are on board
George's yacht,
Magnet. Using their
personal calls as
well as the DX
association call,
the two are active
on HF as well as 6m.
They will be on the
Marquesas islands
through to the end
of the month, then
head to the Tuamotu
Archipelago, IOTA
number OC-066, where
they hope to be on
the air from late
March to the 5th of
April.
This
is a two-year
journey with two
goals: The hams are
activating grids on
their journey in the
Pacific and they are
testing out the
possibility of
remote operations
for DXpeditions.
Their stops include
various rare or
semi-rare DXCC
entities as the
opportunity allows
They also have three
stations. Two of
them are 100-watt
remotely operated
Radios in a Box, or
RIBS, that will be
operating FT8. A
Radio in a Box
contains a
transceiver and
amplifier, along
with cooling and
control systems, all
inside a waterproof
case. Using their
third station, the
two are operating on
HF using CW and
SSB.,
This is
the latest
remote-operation
test undertaken by
George and Michael
on their travels.
George writes on his
page on QRZ: [quote]
"The goal is to
develop the
capability for
future DXpedtions to
have remote
operators, working
from home or
wherever."
This is Kevin
Trotman N5PRE.
(QRZ.COM)
** MICROWAVE
ENTHUSIASTS PREPARE
FOR CONFERENCE
PAUL/ANCHOR: If
you're interested in
exploring the
microwave part of
the spectrum, you're
about to get your
chance. Jack Parker
W8ISH tells us about
an international
conference devoted
to just that.
JACK: In less
than a month,
microwave
enthusiasts will be
getting together in
Connecticut to share
ideas, equipment
design and operating
stories at the first
Microwave Update
Conference to be
held since the
pandemic was
declared in 2020.
The international
conference at the
Hilton Garden Inn at
Bradley Airport in
Windsor, Connecticut
will include the
46th Eastern
VHF/UHF/Microwave
Conference. It will
be held on April
14th and 15th and
will be hosted by
the North East Weak
Signal Group, a
regional group in
Massachusetts
devoted to
operations on 50 MHz
and above.
Although speakers
and activities will
focus on operations
on the microwave
bands, discussions
are not limited to
that part of the
radio spectrum.
Talks will center on
circuit design, the
latest microwave
devices,
software-defined
radios, small-dish
EME and microwave
propagation, among
other topics.
At the Eastern
VHF/UHF/Microwave
Conference, speakers
will discuss
antennas,
propagation, roving,
SDRs, digital modes
and activity nights.
Additional
activities are
planned for this
conference on April
13th and 16th.
For details,
visit the website
microwaveupdate -
that's one word -
dot org.
(microwaveupdate.org)
This is Jack
Parker W8ISH.
(MICROWAVEUPDATE.ORG)
** CQ
MAGAZINE NAMES NEW
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
PAUL/ANCHOR:
Congratulations to
our friends at CQ
magazine, where a
new associate editor
has been hired.
Sabrina Herman,
KB3UJW, has joined
the staff,
succeeding longtime
managing editor
Jason Feldman,
KD2IWM. Sabrina had
previously been
managing editor and
promotional
coordinator for
Hermes Press, a
small publisher of
books in
Pennsylvania. She
has been a ham for
13 years. We wish
everyone at the CQ
office well.
(CQ MAGAZINE)
**
SAFE
SPLASHDOWN FOR FOUR
ISS ASTRONAUTS
PAUL/ANCHOR:
Welcome home to the
four astronauts
comprising Crew 5
aboard the ISS. They
splashed down safely
just off the coast
of Florida. Andy
Morrison K9AWM has
that story.
ANDY: Having
finished their
five-month stay
aboard the
International Space
Station, two
astronauts from the
US, one from Japan
and a cosmonaut from
the Russian Space
Agency returned to
Earth in the Gulf of
Mexico just after 9
p.m. on Saturday,
March 10th. Two of
the four are amateur
radio operators.
NASA astronauts
Josh A. Cassada,
KI5CRH, Nicole
Aunapu Mann, JAXA
astronaut Koichi
Wakata, KC5ZTA, and
Roscosmos cosmonaut
Anna Kikina are now
safely home
following a mission
that began last
October when they
arrived on the ISS
inside a SpaceX Crew
Dragon capsule. The
replacement team -
Crew 6 - arrived on
March 3rd to
continue the work
that includes a
number of scientific
experiments.
This is Andy
Morrison K9AWM.
(CNN.COM)
** SILENT
KEY: QCWA OFFICER
GARY J. KIMBALL,
WB2SER
PAUL/ANCHOR: A
leader in the
Quarter Century
Wireless Association
has become a Silent
Key. We have that
story from Sel Embee
KB3TZD.
SEL:
Gary J. Kimball was
known throughout New
England and central
New York for his
company, National
Audio, which he
cofounded in 1977
with his business
partner Mark Gummer
N2IQ. The business
provided sound and
lighting systems for
music events ranging
from the Syracuse
Jazz Fest to the New
York State Fair. On
the air he was known
as WB2SER and
locally many knew
him as a mentor in
the central New York
ham community. He
was an officer of
the Quarter Century
Wireless Association
Chapter 29 covering
the local Finger
Lakes region of New
York. QCWA members
first received their
licenses at least 25
years ago. He was a
member of Radio
Amateurs of Greater
Syracuse and a
member of the
Liverpool Amateur
Repeater Club. His
voice was a familiar
one to hams who
heard his regular
on-air roundups of
local hamfests. At
the time of his
death in late
February, Gary had
been retired from
his company for
about five years,
according to his
online obituary.
Gary Kimball was
72.
This is
Sel Embee KB3TZD.
(LEGACY.COM. RON
PANETTA, WB2WGH)
** RECORD
FINES FOR STATIONS
CHARGED WITH PIRACY
PAUL/ANCHOR: A
New York City
broadcaster charged
with piracy has
become the first of
two stations to be
targeted under a law
passed three years
ago enabling larger
and, until now,
unprecedented
penalties. The FCC
has proposed a
record fine of more
than $2.3-million
against Radio
Impacto 2, which the
agency said was
still on the air at
the time the
commission made its
announcement on
Wednesday, March
15th. According to a
report in Radio
World, the radio
signals are being
transmitted from the
New York City
borough of Queens.
Radio Impacto's
website calls it
"The Official Radio
of Ecuadorians in
New York.” According
to the Radio World
report, the FCC
issued a $20,000
forfeiture against
the station in 2015
and a year later its
broadcast equipment
was seized by US
Marshals.
The
second station was
identified in the
Radio World report
as "Pirate Radio
Eastern Oregon," and
its operator faces
an $80,000
forfeiture.
The FCC is awaiting
response from both
stations.
**
UK NATIONAL HAMFEST
CANCELLED FOR 2023
PAUL/ANCHOR: The
UK National Hamfest,
the well-known rally
previously held
annually at the
Newark Showground in
the UK, has been
cancelled. Jeremy
Boot G4NJH has the
details.
JEREMY: Organisers
of the 2023 UK
National Hamfest
have announced that
the rally, which was
to have taken place
in October in
Peterborough, has
been called off by
the venue. A
statement on the
hamfest website said
that at such short
notice, organisers
cannot find a
replacement venue or
a new date.
Directors considered
a July event back at
the Newark venue but
ultimately it was
decided that there
were too many
obstacles for the
attendees, traders
and to financial
benefits.
The
directors wrote:
[quote] "We can
assure you, we
haven't made this
decision lightly."
[endquote] They
committed to what
they called "a
bigger and better
event" in September
2024 at the Newark
Showground.
This is Jeremy Boot
G4NJH.
(UK
NATIONAL HAMFEST)
** PROMINENT
AMATEUR'S BOOK
EXPLORES RADIO'S
POTENTIAL
PAUL/ANCHOR: A
longtime leader in
amateur radio in
India has just
completed a book
that examines the
untapped promises
that ham radio holds
for the future. We
hear more about him
and his book from
Graham Kemp VK4BB.
GRAHAM: World
Science Day was also
book launch day for
S. Suri, VU2MY, the
founder of the
National Institute
of Amateur Radio in
Hyderabad, India.
Ham enthusiasts,
engineers and Indian
communications
officials arrived at
the NIAR campus for
the author's
introduction of his
book, "The Untapped
Potential of Amateur
Radio."
Suri
told those in
attendance that his
book underscores the
vital role amateur
radio plays in
disaster response.
He said he hoped
that by writing the
book he was also
making it clear that
ham radio is
relevant in other
areas of society. He
said he favoured its
increased inclusion
as a tool by
universities, law
enforcement and the
armed forces and he
urged policymakers
to rethink radio's
role. According to a
book blurb on
amazon.in, the book
also traces amateur
radio's growth from
an activity among
experimenters to its
emergence as a
resource in a number
of nations.
This is Graham Kemp
VK4BB.
(TELANGANA TODAY,
AMAZON.IN)
**
HAMS IN AUSTRALIA
PREP FOR
'ANTENNAPALOOZA'
PAUL/ANCHOR: In
Victoria, Australia,
the annual event
known as
Antennapalooza isn't
just about antennas.
Jason Daniels
VK2LAW, explains.
JASON: Station
efficiency is the
theme of this year's
Antennapalooza event
in Victoria,
Australia and the
organisers are
looking for
presenters. The
range of topics can
encompass the best
ways to make your
antenna efficient or
cover a broader
subject area, such
as recommended ways
to set up your
shack. Presentations
will take place on
Saturday, April 15th
or Sunday, April
16th. If you have a
proposal to submit,
send it to Ian
Jackson VK3BUF at
sparky at dcsi dot
net dot au.
(sparky@dcsi.net.au)
In keeping with the
theme of the
three-day camping
weekend,
presentations should
focus more on
practical
application and less
on theory. Talks
will be held in the
Pavilion at Drouin
West, about 100
kilometers east of
Melbourne. This free
popular outdoor
event, now in its
eighth year, is a
gathering of various
area clubs to learn,
socialize and get on
the air and of
course, try out some
new antennas.
This is Jason
Daniels VK2LAW.
(ANTENNAPALOOZA
WEBSITE)
**
BROADCASTER SHUTS
LONGWAVE RADIO
TRANSMITTER IN
ICELAND
PAUL/ANCHOR: A
longwave radio
transmitter in
Iceland has been
shut down and
demolished, as
Iceland phases out
that form of
broadcast. Jeremy
Boot G4NJH brings us
that story.
JEREMY: A team of
police stood nearby
to oversee safety
concerns as a
longwave transmitter
in East Iceland was
switched off and
demolished.
Destruction of the
mast, standing 218
metres, Iceland's
third tallest
structure, took
place in late
February, the result
of a decline in the
number of listeners
to longwave radio
broadcasts. The
transmitter had been
operated on 207 kHz
by the Icelandic
broadcaster RUV,
which is now giving
priority to FM.
Another RUV
transmitter will
continue operating
for a little longer
in West Iceland on
189 kHz. This is
Iceland's tallest
structure at 412
metres. There are
plans also for that
transmitter to
close, once FM
broadcasts replace
all of its
functions.
The impetus for the
change is being
driven in part by
Iceland's Civil
Defence and other
organisations
looking to improve
emergency
notification
capabilities. That
role is going to be
transferred to FM,
which is slowly
being upgraded
throughout Iceland.
This is Jeremy
Boot G4NJH.
(AMATEUR NEWS
WEEKLY, RUV ICELAND)
** WORLD OF
DX
In the
World of DX, listen
for the Russian
DXpedition Team
using the callsign
9X5RU in Rwanda from
March 22nd to April
7th. You will hear
them on 160-6m and
they will also be
using the QO-100
satellite. They will
operate CW, SSB and
FT8. QSL via Club
Log's OQRS and LoTW.
Listen for the
special event
callsign A60AP,
which is on the air
until the 31st of
August. The suffix
stands for the
Emirates "Astronaut
Program," which
prepares crews of
UAE astronauts for
missions that
include the
International Space
Station. QSL via
EA7FTR.
Be
listening for
CT9/DD8ZX, CT9/DF7EE
and CT9/DJ9KM
operating from
Madeira, IOTA Number
AF-014 from the 22nd
to the 28th of
March. Helmut,
DF7EE, will also
participate in the
CQ WW WPX SSB
Contest as CQ3W. QSL
CT9/DD8ZX and
CT9/DJ9KM via LoTW
or the operators'
home calls; QSL CQ3W
and CT9/DF7EE via
LoTW or Club Log's
OQRS.
Miguel,
EA1BP, will be
active as FM/EA1BP
from Martinique,
IOTA Number NA-107,
from the 21st to the
28th of March. He
will be focusing on
17m and 12m and
operating SSB.
Listen for him in
the CQ WW WPX SSB
Contest where he
will be using the
callsign TO7O (TEE
OH SEVEN OH). QSL
via LoTW, or via
home call.
(425 DX BULLETIN)
** KICKER:
WHEN "LINE OF SIGHT"
SERVES AS A LIFELINE
PAUL/ANCHOR:
Most of us have
heard the phrase
"when all else
fails, ham radio."
Well, our final
story for this week
carries an
alternative thought:
"when all else
fails, aerial
drones." Here's
Ralph Squillace
KK6ITB with that
story.
RALPH:
Deep snow in the
Cascade Mountains of
Oregon left two
motorists trapped
earlier this year in
the Willamette
National Forest. One
of them was a woman
who had become
stranded in her
minivan. The other
was a man traveling
not far from there.
There was rarely any
traffic or even
maintenance workers
on this
little-traveled road
but they were able
to spot one another
and try to find a
way out of their
predicament.
However, the road's
remote location put
it out of range for
cellphone service.
The snow grew
higher and the
temperatures dropped
lower.
As the
two tried to find a
way to get word out
that they were in
danger, the man
realized he might in
fact have a way out
for the both of
them, after all. He
would use
line-of-sight
communications, the
same principle
employed by ham
radio operators on
VHF/UHF and
microwave
frequencies, as well
as those using
satellites. He
realized that if he
could get his
cellphone up high
enough - say,
several hundred feet
above the thick
treetops - its
signal would reach a
cell tower, enabling
it to send a text
message that could
carry the details of
his distress to a
friend.
He
had the cellphone
and, as luck would
have it, he happened
to have an aerial
drone in his car and
the drone had enough
power to make that
successful flight.
It worked. The
man's friend
received the text
with his location
and the details of
what had happened
and the sheriff's
search and rescue
team did the rest.
The two motorists -
and the drone - were
brought to safety.
This is Ralph
Squilllace KK6ITB.
(THE
DRIVE.COM, KRNV NEWS
4) ** NOMINATE
OUR NEXT 'YOUNG HAM
OF THE YEAR'
PAUL/ANCHOR: We
remind our listeners
that young hams who
live in the
continental United
States have an
opportunity to make
news, if they aren't
already doing so, by
being a recipient of
this year's Amateur
Radio Newsline Bill
Pasternak Memorial
Young Ham of the
Year Award. Consider
nominating an
amateur radio
operator 18 years of
age or younger --
someone who has
talent, promise and
a commitment to the
spirit of ham radio.
Find application
forms on our website
arnewsline.org under
the "YHOTY" tab.
Nominations are now
open and close on
May 31st.
St.
Patrick's Day
Edition: We
had our boiled
dinner last week and
I don't drink green
beer, so no
celebration here.
...
Dayton Amateur Radio
Leader Ron Cramer,
KD8ENJ, Silent Key
03/16/2023
Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ,
of Dayton, Ohio,
passed away on
Saturday, March 11,
2023. He was Vice
President of the
Dayton Amateur Radio
Association (DARA)
and previously
served as its
President. Cramer
was General Chairman
of Dayton
Hamvention®, the
world's largest
annual gathering of
radio amateurs, from
2017 to 2018. In
2017, he was among
the Hamvention
leadership and team
who helped
successfully
relocate the event
to its current venue
at the Greene County
Fairgrounds and Expo
Center in Xenia,
Ohio, after 52 years
at Hara Arena. In
2019, the event
would go on to host
the ARRL National
Convention in Xenia.
"Ron was one of the
most active members
of DARA and
Hamvention and was
extremely well liked
and respected,"
included a message
from the DARA Board.
"Please keep him and
his family in your
prayers."
Cramer is survived
by his wife of 49
years, Liz (Ann
Mergler). "I was the
Assistant General
Chair of Hamvention
(Ron's assistant)
the year we moved we
moved it to Xenia,"
shared DARA
President Jack
Gerbs, WB8SCT. "It
was a stressful
time, but it was
also a very exciting
time [for] the team.
There is no way Ron
can ever be
replaced. He was a
hardworking,
dedicated, wonderful
person who had a
positive impact on
everyone he
encountered. His
only fault was, he
would never say no.
I am looking forward
to catching up [to]
Ron in that great
shack in Heaven!
Rest in peace, my
friend!" "Ron was a
good friend of ARRL,
and one of the
kindest and most
committed
member-volunteers
I've known
throughout my years
in amateur radio,"
said ARRL Director
of Marketing and
Innovation Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R.
"Ron supported many
years of ARRL's
participation at
Hamvention. Most
recently, he
coordinated
Hamvention's
interest in hosting
the 2024 ARRL
National Convention.
He'll be close in
the hearts and minds
of many of us as the
convention is
planned. I'll miss
him dearly."
Out of this world!
Lanai kids get
picked for live Q&A
with ISS astronauts
HONOLULU
(HawaiiNewsNow) -
Every year, a
handful of U.S.
schools are chosen
from among many that
apply to interview
astronauts aboard
the International
Space Station. The
program called ARISS
is a joint venture
between NASA and
amateur radio. This
year, Lanai
Elementary School
got one of the
golden tickets.
“Little Lanai, how
did we get chosen?
We were one school
out of nine in the
entire country to be
chosen for this
opportunity. So it’s
been really
exciting!” said
fifth-grade teacher
Danyel Erickson.
She’s the person
who’s responsible
for the school’s
involvement with
ARISS. She found out
about it through a
friend who is an
astronomer. “I only
had a few weeks to
fill out the
proposal last March.
I said, ‘You know
what? This sounds
exciting. Let’s give
it a shot,’” she
said. That shot in
the dark hit the
bullseye. On a day
later this month,
with the help of a
Ham radio operator,
the school will hook
up with the Space
Station for a live
question-and-answer
session with one of
its astronauts.
Students will have a
12-minute window to
squeeze in their
questions, and hear
the astronaut’s
answers. “I would
like to know how
they celebrate their
birthdays in space,”
said eight-year-old
Esther Shuster.
Fifth-grader Rainy
Sison plans to ask
about the Space
Station’s mission.
“What was one of
their most exciting
discoveries that
they have made?” he
said. Even Erickson
has pondered what
she would ask if she
gets the chance. “My
question for the
astronaut would be,
‘Is there a teacher
that inspired you in
your journey to
become an
astronaut?’” she
said.
To get ready for the
space talk, the kids
have watched videos
about the Space
Station, and they
have learned about
how amateur radio
operators step in
when emergencies cut
off other lines of
communication. “This
is our way to
communicate in
events of
emergency,” Erickson
said. “This is our
lifeline for getting
ahold of emergency
services and making
sure that people are
safe.”
DX
news
This week's
bulletin was
made possible
with information
provided by
AA3B, KK9A, The
Daily DX, 425 DX
News, DXNL,
Contest Corral
from QST and the
ARRL Contest
Calendar and
WA7BNM web
sites. Thanks to
all.
GEORGIA, 4L.
Rene, DL2JRM is
QRV as 4L/DL2JRM
until March 20.
Activity is on
40 to 10 meters
using CW. QSL to
home call.
RWANDA, 9X. A
large group of
operators will
be QRV as 9X5RU
near Kigali from
March 22 to
April 7.
Activity will be
on 160 to 6
meters using CW,
SSB, and FT8
with several
stations. This
includes being
active in
Satellite
QO-100. QSL via
LoTW.
SABLE ISLAND,
CY0. A group of
operators will
be QRV as CY0S
from March 20 to
30. Activity
will be on 160
to 6 meters,
including 60
meters and 2
meter EME, using
CW, SSB, RTTY,
and FT8 with
three stations
active. QSL via
WA4DAN.
CAPE VERDE, D4.
Luca, HB9OBD is
QRV as D44KIT
from Sal Island,
IOTA AF-086, u
ntil April 5.
Activity is
holiday style on
40, 20, 15, and
10 meters using
SSB and FT8. QSL
via EB7DX.
COMOROS, D6.
Hiro, JF1OCQ is
QRV as D67AA
until March 22.
Activity is on
160 to 10 meters
using CW, FT8,
and FT4. QSL
direct to home
call.
PHILIPPINES, DU.
Jacek, SP5APW
will be QRV as
DU1/SP5APW from
the Babuyan
Islands, IOTA
OC-092, from
March 18 to 26.
Activity will be
on 40 to 10
meters using SSB
and FT8. QSL to
home call.
SAN ANDRES AND
PROVIDENCIA,
HK0. Alex, DK8FD
will be QRV as
HK0/DK8FD from
Providencia,
IOTA NA-033,
from March 20 to
25. QSL to home
call.
OGASAWARA, JD1.
Stations JD1BOI
and JD1BON are
QRV from
Chichijima, IOTA
AS-031, until
March 24.
Activity is on
160 to 6 meters
using RTTY, FT8,
and FT4. QSL via
LoTW.
BONAIRE, PJ4.
John, KK9A will
be QRV as
PJ4/KK9A from
March 21 to 27.
Activity will be
on 80 to 10
meters using CW
and SSB. This
includes being
active as PJ4R
in the upcoming
CQ World Wide
WPX SSB contest.
QSL via WD9DZV.
SURINAME, PZ.
Harrie, PA3EHS
is QRV as PZ5HS
from Para until
March 25.
Activity is on
the HF bands
using SSB, JT6,
and FT8. QSL via
PA3EHS.
SEYCHELLES, S7.
Dieter, AE0BF is
QRV as S79/AE0BF
until March 19.
Activity is on
40 to 10 meters.
He has currently
been active on
12 and 10
meters. QSL via
DJ2EH.
EGYPT, SU.
Ahmed, 9K2QA is
QRV as SU9GA
from Cairo. He
is active on 80
to 10 meters.
QSL via 9K2QA.
ANTIGUA AND
BARBUDA, V2.
Bud, AA3K will
be QRV as V26K
from Antigua
from March 21 to
27. Activity
will be on the
HF bands using
mostly CW. He
will be a Single
Op/All Band/High
Power entry in
the upcoming CQ
World Wide WPX
SSB contest. QSL
to home call.
CANADA, VE.
Pierre, VE3KTB
is QRV as VY0ERC
from Eureka
station on
Ellesmere
Island, IOTA
NA-008, until
April 13.
Activity is in
his spare time
on 20 to 12
meters using CW,
SSB, and FT8,
and possibly on
some of the FM
Satellites. QSL
via M0OXO.
TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS, VP5.
John AF3K, Ross,
W2TT and Diane,
KA3FCE will be
QRV as VP5/AF3K,
VP5/W2TT, and
VP5/KA3FCE,
respectively,
from
Providenciales,
IOTA NA-002,
from March 22 to
29. Activity
will be on the
HF bands using
CW, SSB, and
various digital
modes. They will
be active as
VP5P in the
upcoming CQ
World Wide WPX
SSB contest. QSL
VP5/AF3K,
VP5/W2TT, and
VP5P via
N2OO,and
VP5/KA3FCE
direct via W2TT.
VANUATU, YJ.
Chris, VK2YUS
should be back
on Efate Island,
IOTA OC-035, and
plans to be
active as YJ0CA
from March 18 to
28. Activity
will be on 40 to
10 meters using
SSB. QSL direct
to home call.
THIS WEEKEND ON
THE RADIO. All
Africa
International DX
Contest, BARTG
HF RTTY Contest,
QRP 80-Meter CW
Fox Hunt, NCCC
RTTY Sprint,
NCCC CW Sprint,
K1USN Slow Speed
CW Test,
Maidenhead
Mayhem Sprint,
SARL VHF/UHF
Analogue
Contest, Russian
DX Contest, F9AA
SSB Cup, AGCW
VHF/UHF Contest,
Virginia QSO
Party, Feld Hell
Sprint, UBA
Spring SSB
Contest, Classic
Phone Exchange
and the Run for
the Bacon QRP CW
Contest are all
on tap for this
upcoming
weekend.
The K1USN Slow
Speed CW Test,
ICWC Medium
Speed CW Test,
OK1WC Memorial,
Bucharest
Digital Contest,
Worldwide
Sideband
Activity
Contest, SKCC CW
Sprint, QRP
40-Meter CW Fox
Hunt, Phone
Weekly Test,
A1Club CW AWT,
CWops Test,
Mini-Test 40 and
the Mini-Test 80
are scheduled
for March 20 to
22.
THURSDAY
EDITION:
St. Patrick's Day
tomorrow. I imagine
my cousins in
Southie are hammered
by now....The annual
Saint Patrick’s Day
Award event takes
place over a 48 hour
period from 1200UTC
on 16 March 2023 to
1200UTC on 18 March
2023 to allow
worldwide
participation in all
time zones. The
Saint Patrick’s Day
Award is 48 hours of
non-competitive fun.
Everyone can
participate in the
event, whether they
are licensed or not.
You can register to
be a participating
station by
completing a
short registration
form on the St
Patrick’s Day Award
website.
Caravelle Radio
Transmitter and
Receiver from Remco
(1962)
I’ve always been a
huge fan of WKRP in
Cincinnati, the
classic T.V. sitcom
from the late 1970s
that focused on the
hijinks of the
employees of a
fictional radio
station in Ohio.
Part of the show’s
appeal can be
attributed to its
many on-air disk
jockeys – be it the
irreverent rock and
roll riffs of Dr.
Johnny Fever or the
silky-smooth
stylings of Venus
Flytrap. No wonder I
was immediately
drawn to the
Caravelle, a
transistorized AM
radio receiver and
transmitter from
Remco. Released in
1962, the toy radio
is easy to assemble
and includes a
microphone and a
Morse code
oscillator key that
both plug into the
base unit. A single
9-volt battery
powers the toy,
giving it a “without
wires” capability
that Remco often
highlighted in
its advertising.
When powered on, the
Caravelle’s
integrated 3.5-foot
antenna receives
local AM radio
broadcasts and
can transmit on AM
frequencies in a
500-foot radius.
While this distance
wasn’t enough to
enable kids to
launch a full-blown
pirate radio
station, it was most
certainly enough to
dazzle one’s family
with one’s DJ skills
and gift for the
gab. And fear not,
the Caravelle was
designed (at the
time) to Federal
Communications
Commission
requirements,
meaning that it
could be operated
without a license!
WEDNESDAY
EDITION: NO
SNOW, we got 50+ mph
winds and 5 inches
of rain,
whew!....Yet another
miracle antenna for 10-40
meters when a bit of
wire would be better
performing and
cheaper.....What
to know about the
MQ-9 Reaper,
the drone the US
just lost over the
Black Sea It was
"intercepted and hit
by a Russian
aircraft," according
to an Air Force
general. These are
the basics of the
incident—and the
Reaper.
W1AW CODE PRACTICE
Code practice texts
are from QST, and
the source of each
practice is given at
the beginning of
each practice and at
the beginning of
alternate speeds. On
Tuesdays and Fridays
at 2230 UTC (6:30 PM
EDT), Keplerian
Elements for active
amateur satellites
are sent on the
regular digital
frequencies. A DX
bulletin replaces or
is added to the
regular bulletins
between 0000 UTC (8
PM EDT) Thursdays
and 0000 UTC (8 PM
EDT) Fridays. Audio
from W1AW's CW code
practices, and
CW/digital/phone
bulletins is
available using
EchoLink via the
W1AW Conference
Server named
"W1AWBDCT." The
monthly W1AW
Qualifying Runs are
presented here as
well. The
CW/digital/phone
audio is sent in
real-time and runs
concurrently with
W1AW's regular
transmission
schedule. All users
who connect to the
conference server
are muted. Please
note that any
questions or
comments about this
server should not be
sent via the "Text"
window in EchoLink.
Please direct any
questions or
comments to
w1aw@arrl.org . In a
communications
emergency, monitor
W1AW for special
bulletins as
follows: Voice on
the hour, Digital at
15 minutes past the
hour, and CW on the
half hour. FCC
licensed amateurs
may operate the
station from 1400
UTC to 1945 UTC (10
AM to 3:45 PM EDT)
Monday through
Friday. Be sure to
bring a reference
copy of your current
FCC amateur radio
license. The weekly
W1AW and monthly
West Coast
Qualifying Runs are
sent on the normal
CW frequencies used
for both code
practice and
bulletin
transmissions. West
Coast Qualifying Run
stations may also
use 3590 kHz. The
complete W1AW
Operating Schedule
may be found on page
28 in the March 2023
issue of QST or on
the web at, http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule .
TUESDAY
EDITION:
Whew, just back from
the skin surgeon for
another 'procedure".
My face is going to
look like a
catcher's mitt at
this rate....10:30
and no snow yet,
just rain and
howling wind...Meet
the brave explorer
who takes
close-up
photographs
of anacondas lurking
underwater in South
America ...This
Breakthrough Could
Make
Longer-Lasting
Batteries
and Better Power
Grids—if It Works
....How growing
antlers on mice could
lead to new
treatments for
humans
EMAIL:
Jon... I'm
thinking that big
"antenna" thing on
the police car might
be a bridge
twanger. I've see a
few of thos in
eastern Europe
leading convoys with
either large
military stuff or
big commercial
trucks. I looked
closely at the
picture on your site
and I don't see
anything that looks
like it might be a
feedpoint, but hard
to tell... 7 de Norm
W1ITT
MONDAY
EDITION: I
was walking the
hound yesterday
planning what I was
going to do around
the yard, raking,
top soil, planting
grass, until I
looked at the
forecast. Tonight
thru Wednesday we
have snow and high
winds, only in New
England....You
have to hand it to
AM radio—it has
outlasted the
8-track, the
cassette, and the
compact disc as a
way to deliver audio
content to a car.
This
first-generation
radio broadcast
technology dates
back to the dawn of
the last century
before it was
superseded by FM,
which has better
sound fidelity and
is less likely to
suffer from
interference. But
good old amplitude
modulation joins
those shiny CDs and
twisted tapes on the
scrapheap of
history, at least as
far as the next Ford
Mustang is
concerned. When the
2024 Mustang goes on
sale this summer, it
will do so without
an AM radio
function, according
to Ford Authority.
What kind of antenna
is this on a patrol
car?
THE RADIO WAR ON THE
38TH PARALLEL. ECHO
OF HOPE AND JAMMING
ON 6250 KHz
Come to think of
it, the Korean War
(1950-53) was never
officially closed.
For 70 years, the
two states of the
Korean peninsula
have been
experiencing a long
truce during which
there have been
moments of great
tension and
incidents on the
38th parallel line
that have raised
fears of a
resumption of
hostilities in the
region. Two
governments and two
political systems at
the antipodes
observe each other
in disgust and
challenge each other
by loud voice at
various levels, at
least until now. A
local Cold War that
continues with no
holds barred and
with all means
available, including
radio propaganda.
From the north and
from the south, the
transmissions of the
two states cross
seamlessly, and of
course the jamming
we were used to in
the days of the
opposition of the
blocs is also part
of this battle of
ideas. South Korea
broadcasts, or at
least tries, to the
north through a
series of
broadcasters
including one
activated by the
intelligence
services called Echo
of Hope. The North's
response is classic
Sino-Soviet-style
jamming aimed at
avoiding listening.
Thanks to the
propagation on short
waves, the echoes of
this battle of the
ether also reach
here in Europe where
both southern and
northern jamming can
be heard. One of
these frequencies is
that of 6250 KHz
that we monitored
tonight around 19.00
UTC. As you can hear
from the video we
made, on the nominal
frequency you only
hear jamming and the
transmission is very
difficult to listen
in USB mode, while
moving up 4-5 KHz a
weak signal can also
be heard in AM. Echo
of Hope also
features several
other frequencies
that are also
systematically
jammed. Sometimes,
at least here in
Europe you can hear
a good signal on
4885 KHz. We do not
know how many in
North Korea are able
or have the courage
to listen to these
broadcasts but from
the south they do
not give up, this
and other
broadcasters
broadcast
continuously to the
north with the hope
that something of
their message
arrives at its
destination.
ARTICLE
WEEKEND
EDITION:
Looks like a gnarly
weather pattern here
on the island with
winds and sleet
predicted....I have
not worked anyone
using the new Yaesu
FT710 yet,
looks like a nice
"little" radio aimed
at the Icom
7300....Okay, my
favorite holiday is
fast approaching.
Here is a lesson for
all. Padraig is the
Irish word for
Patrick (American
version). Shortened
, Padraig becomes
Paddy. Patty is
short for Patricia.
We hope all enjoy a
Happy St PADDYS day!
September 13, 1950.
"Pendulum pounding
into a plastic
helmet worn for
testing by Dr.
Charles F. Lombard,
director of the
University of
Southern California
Department of
Aviation Physiology.
Testing is part of a
program being worked
out to improve
equipment,
especially headgear
for football
players, to cut down
fatalities and
injuries among
gridders."
ARRL International
DX Contest a Success
Last weekend (March
4 - 5, 2023) was the
phone segment of the
ARRL International
DX Contest. Although
the deadline to
submit logs is 2359Z
on March 12,
preliminary numbers
already show an
increase in
submissions compared
to the same period
last year.
Conditions were
favorable for much
of the world, and
many operators took
to social media to
talk about their
wins. Italian ham
Chris Diemoz,
IX1CKN, wrote in to
express his
gratitude for the
contest, saying, "I
haven't come back to
the US since 2001,
but... I [count
last] Sunday
afternoon [as] a
true trip to the
States, from east to
west." Diemoz made
80 contacts in the
US. From his parked
car in Ozein,
Itally, Diemoz
operated during the
contest using QRP
power from a Xiegu
G90 transceiver and
an Outback-1899 HF
antenna. He enjoyed
making a lot of
contacts on 10 and
15 meters, which are
opening due to Solar
Cycle 25. He made a
video with some of
his QSOs and posted
it to YouTube. Click
on the screenshot
above or click
here to view the
YouTube video.
FreeDV Aims to Bring
Open-Source HF
Digital Voice Into
the Mainstream
San Diego, CA, March
09, 2023 --(PR.com)-- To
advance the state of
the art in HF
digital voice and to
promote its use,
Amateur Radio
Digital
Communications
(ARDC) has awarded
$420,000 to the
FreeDV Project. With
this grant, the
FreeDV Project team
will:
- Hire experienced
digital signal
processing
developers to work
with the volunteer
staff to improve
speech quality and
improve low
signal-to-noise
ratio operation,
making FreeDV
performance superior
to single-sideband
(SSB) over poor
high-frequency (HF)
channels.
- Work with
commercial HF radio
companies to embed
FreeDV into at least
two
commercial
radios, greatly
reducing set up
effort and reducing
latency.
- Continue
development of a
suite of advanced,
open-source
HF
modems, with the
goal of making
FreeDV’s digital
performance
comparable to VARA
at both low and high
signal-noise ratios.
- Continue support
of the existing
software library
(libcodec2) and
application software
(freedv-gui), and
embedded FreeDV
adaptors
(SM1000
and ezDV).
- Better promote
FreeDV online and in
person at amateur
radio
clubs and
conventions.
The FreeDV Project
team believes that
the work funded by
this grant will:
- Open the path to
widespread adoption
of a truly
open-source,
next-generation
digital voice system
for HF radio.
- Provide a mature,
open-source
low-bit-rate codec
useful for a variety
of amateur radio and
commercial
applications.
- Provide a suite of
high performance, HF
data modems for
open-source data
applications usable
by any radio
amateur.
About FreeDV
FreeDV is a
low-bit-rate digital
voice mode for HF
radio. Initially
developed by David
Rowe, VK5DGR, an
international team
of radio amateurs
are now working
together on the
project. FreeDV is
open-source
software, released
under the GNU Lesser
Public License
(LPGL) version 2.1.
The modems and Codec
2 speech codec used
in FreeDV are also
open source.
Hardware and
software developers
can integrate FreeDV
into their projects
using the FreeDV
API. To operate
FreeDV, radio
amateurs either run
the FreeDV GUI
application on
Windows, Linux and
OSX machines or use
the SM1000 FreeDV
adaptor. Either
method allows hams
to use a
single-sideband HF
radio to send and
receive FreeDV
signals. To learn
more about FreeDV,
go to
https://www.freedv.org.
About ARDC
Amateur Radio
Digital
Communications
(ARDC) is a
California-based
foundation with
roots in amateur
radio and the
technology of
internet
communication. The
organization got its
start by managing
the AMPRNet address
space, which is
reserved for
licensed amateur
radio operators
worldwide.
Additionally, ARDC
makes grants to
projects and
organizations that
follow amateur
radio’s practice and
tradition of
technical
experimentation in
both amateur radio
and digital
communication
science. Such
experimentation has
led to advances that
benefit the general
public, including
the mobile phone and
wireless internet
technology. ARDC
envisions a world
where all such
technology is
available through
open source hardware
and software, and
where anyone has the
ability to innovate
upon it. To learn
more about ARDC, go
to
https://www.ardc.net.
Amateur
Radio Newsline
Report
** GRANT WILL
ADVANCE FREEDV HF
TECHNOLOGY
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Our
top story this week
is about a boost for
cutting-edge amateur
radio. A major
open-source ham
radio technology for
HF digital voice has
received a major
grant to advance its
development. Kevin
Trotman N5PRE has
that report.
KEVIN: The FreeDV
Project, an
open-source software
initiative created
by an international
team of hams, has
received $420,000
from Amateur Radio
Digital
Communications. The
team plans to use
that money to help
bring FreeDV into
the mainstream.
According to an
ARDC press release,
the goal is to
[quote] "open the
path to widespread
adoption of a truly
open-source,
next-generation
digital voice system
for HF radio."
[endquote]
Some of the funds
will go towards the
hiring of digital
signal processing
developers to work
alongside FreeDV
volunteers to
improve the
readability of
digital voice
carried over SSB
under poor HF
conditions. The plan
is to improve low
signal-to-noise
ratio operation and
improve speech
quality. The team
also hopes FreeDV
can also be embedded
in some more
commercial radios.
Towards that end,
specialists will
work alongside some
commercial HF radio
engineers.
The FreeDV website
mentions some
versions of the
technology that are
already in use,
including the
special version in
use over the QO-100
geostationary
satellite. FreeDV is
also being employed
to overcome poor
propagation through
experimental
combinations of
internet and HF
radio. FreeDV
encompasses the
Codec 2 speech
codec/modem and all
are open source.
This is Kevin
Trotman N5PRE.
(ARDC, Dan
Romanchik, KB6NU)
**
COMPETITION FOCUSES
ON VISION FOR HAM
RADIO'S FUTURE
STEPHEN/ANCHOR:
Hams in Region 1 of
the IARU are being
asked to brainstorm
in a competition
envisioning amateur
radio's future, as
we hear from Jeremy
Boot G4NJH.
JEREMY: Hams in
Europe, the Middle
East, Africa and
Northern Asia are
being asked to take
the challenge of
seeing into the
future. Region 1 of
the International
Amateur Radio Union
is inviting teams
and individuals to
engage in two types
of brainstorming as
part of the region's
HamChallenge
competition. Both
challenges are
designed to inspire
projects that
increase awareness
of amateur radio's
vitality and
relevance today.
The first
challenge asks hams
to create projects
that reach out to
people who do not
have a radio
licence. The project
could be a social
media campaign, a
video, a storyboard
or some other
creative venture
that showcases the
power ham radio has
in building
friendships and
expanding scientific
knowledge.
The second challenge
focuses on a project
that reaches out to
other hams showing
the way amateur
radio might look in
10 years. Entries in
this part of the
challenge can be a
technology project,
an experiment or
something else.
All ideas should
be sent to the IARU
Region 1 by July.
Proposals should be
sent by email to
hamchallenge at iaru
hyphen r1 dot org.
(hamchallenge@iaru-r1.org)
There are monetary
prizes and a chance
for the winners to
carry their message
to a wider audience.
I'm Jeremy Boot
G4NJH.
(IARU
REGION 1)
**
TRIO OF HAMS ARRIVE
ON BOARD THE ISS
STEPHEN/ANCHOR:
Four astronauts are
now on board the
International Space
Station. The crew
includes the first
astronaut from the
United Arab Emirates
to fly aboard a
commercial mission.
He also happens to
be an amateur radio
operator. Paul Braun
WD9GCO has that
story.
PAUL:
Four astronauts,
three of them
licensed amateur
radio operators,
arrived on the ISS
on Friday, March
3rd, for a six-month
stay in orbit. One
of them, astronaut
Sultan Al Neyadi,
KI5VTV, is also
making his first
trip into space.
The Crew-6
launch took place a
day earlier from the
Kennedy Space Center
in Florida. The
other members of the
team are mission
commander Stephen
Bowen, KI5BKB, pilot
Warren "Woody"
Hoburg, KB3HTZ, and
Roscosmos cosmonaut
Andrey Fedyaev, who
- like Al Neyadi -
is making his first
space flight. The
crew will conduct a
variety of
experiments
including a study of
the way certain
materials burn in
microgravity and an
examination of
microbial samples
collected from
outside the
spacecraft.
This is NASA's sixth
crew to use the
commercial SpaceX
transport system.
I'm Paul Braun
WD9GCO.
(CNBC)
**
HAMS IN DELAWARE
MOBILIZE FOR
SURPRISE WEATHER
DRILL
STEPHEN/ANCHOR:
Fast-moving amateurs
in Delaware recently
responded to a
surprise emergency
weather drill. Randy
Sly W4XJ tells us
what happened next.
RANDY: SKYWARN
and emergency
managers in Sussex
County on the
Delaware Peninsula,
hold quarterly
exercises they call
“Pop Ups,”
recognizing that
unexpected
emergencies pop up.
The latest exercise,
called “Pops in the
Dark,” began on
Saturday, March 4.
It called for “all
hams on deck” in
Sussex and Kent
Counties. Amateurs
were mobilized
without commercial
power and throughout
the activation were
limited to only
whatever fuel and
battery capacity
they had at the
time.
The
exercise was a
severe winter storm,
with reported ice
accumulations and
10-12” of snow. The
event had two parts.
On Day 1, the
Emergency Operations
Center nets worked
simultaneously with
SKYWARN and then
remained active
through the
remainder of the
exercise. On Days 1
and 2, repeaters
were reported down
and only simplex
frequencies were
used. Barbara Dean,
KC3LGE, public
information officer
Sussex, told AR
Newsline that, in
addition to
coordinating various
communications
tasks, the nets also
included suggestions
on getting the most
out of their
available power.
Pops in the Dark
concluded on March 8
followed by the
collection of
after-action
reports.
This
is Randy Sly, W4XJ
** NEW CW NET
IN IRELAND ATTRACTS
'NERVOUS NOVICES'
STEPHEN/ANCHOR:
In Ireland, hams who
love Morse Code but
are nervous about
getting on the air
now have a welcoming
on-air spot to try
out their new
skills. Jeremy Boot
G4NJH tells us about
it.
JEREMY:
The newest net in
Ireland is called
"Nervous Novices."
Organised by Eamo,
EI7LC, the 80 metre
net is designed to
encourage CW
newcomers to get on
the air without
feeling as if they
needed to be
proficient enough
for a full ragchew.
Check-in begins
from 20:30 local
time, meeting
somewhere between
3.550 and 3.555 MHz.
Amateurs are
encouraged to
operate QRS to
accommodate the
slowest
participants. The
emphasis is on good
operating practices,
not speed.
Get on the air and
listen for the call
“CQ NNCW”
This is Jeremy Boot
G4NJH.
(IRTS)
** FCC
NOMINEE WON'T PURSUE
CONFIRMATION
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The
search is on for a
new nominee to join
the US Federal
Communications
Commission following
a decision by
President Joe
Biden's nominee to
withdraw. Gigi Sohn
had been nominated
for the vacant FCC
seat but announced
on Tuesday, March
7th, that she would
not seek the
appointment because
of what she
characterized as
personal attacks.
The attorney is
best known as a
veteran public
interest advocate.
Her confirmation as
commissioner would
have given the
Democratic Party a
3-2 majority on the
FCC.
(WASHINGTON POST)
** EX-AGENCY
OFFICIALS PRESS TO
KEEP AM RADIO IN
CARS
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The
fight to keep AM
radio in new
electric vehicles
just gained a few
more prominent
voices in the US, as
we learn from Kent
Peterson KCØDGY.
KENT: FCC
Commissioner Nathan
Simington, who has
been an outspoken
opponent of
carmakers' plans to
remove AM broadcast
radio from electric
vehicles, has been
joined by seven
former officials in
the US emergency
management agency.
In a letter to US
Transportation
Secretary Pete
Buttigieg the seven
praised AM radio's
capacity for
long-distance
communications,
making this
broadcast mode
[quote] "a vital
public safety
system." [endquote]
Commissioner
Simington spoke late
last year at a
convention of the
National Association
of Farm Broadcasters
and for much the
same reasons,
described AM radio
as "the essential
spine" of the
Emergency Alert
System. Simington
said he agreed with
the letter written
to the
transportation
secretary and called
the push to keep AM
radio in electric
cars a matter for
urgent attention.
A number of
automakers have
stopped including AM
radios in their
vehicles claiming
the cars cause
electromagnetic
interference with AM
signals. Senator Ed
Markey of
Massachusetts
recently asked a
number of carmakers,
including American
Honda, Jaguar,
General Motors, Kia
and BMW, to declare
their intentions
regarding AM and FM
radio.
STEPHEN/ANCHOR:
A communications
tower serving fire
and emergency
services in Nebraska
was found toppled
and destroyed in
Nebraska, the
apparent result of
having had one of
its guy wire anchors
damaged. According
to a report on the
website ruralradio.com,
the tower suffered
structural failure
and toppled, causing
an estimated
$575,000 in damage
to the tower and its
equipment. The local
sheriff's office,
fire and EMS
service, Verizon
wireless and the
school district were
among those making
use of the tower.
Cellphone service
was re-established
on a temporary tower
and the emergency
service and fire
channels were moved
to another location.
The Nebraska State
Patrol's forensic
evidence team is
studying the
evidence at its
crime lab and has
contacted the FBI
which may pursue the
case as an act of
domestic terrorism.
(RURALRADIO.COM)
**
'ROVER' CATEGORY
ADDED TO VIRGINIA
QSO PARTY
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A
new category is
being added to the
Virginia QSO Party,
which kicks off
later this month.
Sel Embee KB3T Zed
Dee tells us what's
behind this
decision.
SEL: This year's
Virginia QSO Party
includes a bit of an
experiment.
Organizers are
adding a new
category - "Rover" -
which raises the
number of categories
for non-fixed
stations to three.
The inclusion of the
rover category,
which now joins
"mobile" and
"expedition," is
being done to
accommodate hams
who, for various
reasons, cannot be
included in the
other classes of
mobile operator.
That may mean they
make use of
commercial power,
retractable antenna
masts or non-mobile
support structures.
Rover operators must
still identify with
their callsign
followed by /M.
Rovers are permitted
to make contacts
while moving or
stationary. A
non-operating driver
is required for
rover and mobile
operators who plan
to be on the air
while the vehicle is
in motion.
The QSO Party is
being organized by
the Sterling Park
Amateur Radio Club
and will be held on
March 18th and 19th.
This is Sel
Embee KB3TZD.
(QRZ.COM)
** CB RADIO
MARKET GROWS FOR FM
MODE
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: The
shape of CB radios
is changing: An
increasing number of
them are now capable
of FM, as we hear
from Jack Parker
W8ISH.
JACK:
Little more than 18
months after the FCC
approved the use of
FM for Citizens Band
on 27 MHz,
manufacturers have
responded to the
demand for the mode.
Companies now in the
market include
President
Electronics USA,
Uniden, RadioOddity,
QYT and Cobra. It
was Cobra's original
petition that pushed
the need to the
forefront of the
agency, with support
from the other
companies. When the
FCC granted the
request in July
2021, the move was
called the biggest
change for Citizens
Band since the
expansion of CB
channels from 23 to
40 in 1977.
FM is now used on
the CB radio
spectrum from 26.965
MHz to 27.405 MHz,
enabling a
higher-quality audio
for radio users who
do not need the
distance
capabilities offered
by radios with the
SSB mode.
This is Jack Parker
W8ISH.
(RADIO
WORLD,
CCJDIGITAL.COM, FCC)
**
WORLD
OF DX
In the
World of DX, Jim
WB2REM, John K4LT,
and Bob KE2D are
using the call sign
HD8M from Santa Cruz
in the Galapagos
Islands, IOTA
SA-004, until the
11th of March. ,
They are using CW,
SSB and FT8 in
fox-hound mode on
160-6 metres. QSL
via Club Log's OQRS,
or direct to WB2REM;
They will upload to
LoTW after six
months.
From
Norfolk Island, IOTA
number OC-005,
listen for Tom,
VK3FTOM, who is
joining the VK9NT
team that will be on
the air there from
the 17th to the 31st
of March. Tom will
also be using his
own personal
callsign, VK9TOM,
starting on or
around the 13th of
March for "some QRP
operating" while on
the island.
Luca, HB9OBD is
active holiday style
as D44KIT from Sal
Island, IOTA number
AF-086, Cape Verde
until the 5th of
April. Listen for
him on SSB and FT8
on 40, 20, 15 and 10
metres. QSL via
LoTW, eQSL, or via
EB7DX.
Hiro,
JF1OCQ, is in the
Comoro Islands, IOTA
number AF-007, where
he is on the air as
D67AA until the 22nd
of March. He is
using CW, SSB, and
the digital modes on
160 - 10 metres. QSL
via LoTW or direct
to his home call. He
will upload his log
to Club Log and
other platforms.
(DX-WORLD.NET)
** KICKER:
FINDING FAMILY,
EIGHT DECADES LATER
STEPHEN/ANCHOR:
We finish this
week's report with
one family's story.
Nearly eight decades
after fleeing
Bangladesh during
turbulent political
times, a woman in
northern India has
reconnected with the
family she left
behind. It happened
all because of ham
radio. Graham Kemp
VK4BB has that
story.
GRAHAM: Nearly eight
decades of silence
and loss ended on
Tuesday, March 7th,
when 85-year-old
Maya Chakraborty
finally spoke with
the nephew she'd
been seeking for so
long - the son of
her deceased older
sister. The call was
via internet video
but the human
connection here was
because of ham
radio. She was a
young girl when her
family left their
native village in
Sylhet in Bangladesh
and lost contact
with her much older
sister. The Times of
India newspaper
reported that she
had lost much hope
of finding the rest
of her family but
asked her son
Suvendu to help
track them down.
Suvendu contacted
the West Bengal
Radio Club, which
has expertise in
reuniting missing
persons. The club's
secretary contacted
the Amateur Radio
Society of
Bangladesh and the
hams were able to
find Ranjit
Chakraborty, Maya's
nephew, who is
nearly 80 years old
himself. His mother
- Maya's sister -
had long since died.
Ambarish Nag
Biswas, VU2JFA,
secretary of the
West Bengal club,
told the newspaper
[quote] "It was
difficult to find a
person among
millions."
[endquote] He told
Newsline that on
March 7th, the aunt
and her nephew were
reconnected during
an emotional video
call. He said that
both are now
applying for visas
to take that reunion
to its logical next
step.
This is
Graham Kemp VK4BB.
(TIMES OF INDIA,
AMBARISH NAG BISWAS
VU2JFA)
**
IN SEARCH OF
'YOUNG HAM OF THE
YEAR'
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We
remind our listeners
that young hams who
live in the
continental United
States have an
opportunity to make
news, if they aren't
already doing so, by
being a recipient of
this year's Amateur
Radio Newsline Bill
Pasternak Memorial
Young Ham of the
Year Award. Consider
nominating an
amateur radio
operator 18 years of
age or younger --
someone who has
talent, promise and
a commitment to the
spirit of ham radio.
Find more details
along with
application forms on
our website
arnewsline.org under
the "YHOTY" tab. The
nomination period
closes on May 31st.
FRIDAY
EDITION:
Time flies when you
get old, and then
you get older....I
have not a clue what
they re talking
about:Even with
quantum
teleportation and
the
existence of
entangled quantum
states,
faster-than-light
communication still
remains impossible.
I hate when I read
an article and am
left clueless.
...Rolls-Royce Ghost
Prototypes Made
People Feel Sick
.....Watch an
undocking from the
space station live,
should be
interesting....
How UAE
astronaut Al
Neyadi will
bring wonder of
space to
classrooms and
communities
Website,
13 live calls,
10 ham radio
calls announced
for community
outreach
programme
Dubai: The
Mohammed Bin
Rashid Space
Centre (MBRSC)
in Dubai has
revealed how the
UAE’s second
astronaut Sultan
Al Neyadi will
bring the wonder
of outer space
to classrooms
and communities
in the country
during his
six-month long,
historic
‘longest space
expedition by an
Arab.’ My
question is will
he wear a turban
under the space
helmet?
A new website,
13 live calls
and 10 ham radio
calls have been
announced as
part of the
community
outreach
programme of Al
Neyadi’s space
expedition.
A website titled
ELF in Space
will be the
platform through
which he will
interact with
students.
ELF in Space is
a new initiative
by the Mohammed
Bin Rashid Space
Centre in
collaboration
with the
Emirates
Literature
Foundation
(ELF). It will
be an
interactive
programme
offering
students an
up-close look at
what it is like
to be an
astronaut and
the skills and
knowledge such a
role requires.
On the Crystal
Edition of the
Emirates
Literature
Festival this
year, ELF
partnered with
MBRSC to launch
“ELF in Space”,
a family
education
programme,
Isobel Abulhoul,
CEO and trustee,
Emirates
Literature
Foundation, had
announced on
February 1.
Educational
content from
space will be
aired to schools
on a weekly
basis under the
ELF in Space
initiative,
Salem Humaid Al
Marri, director
general of MBRSC
had then said.
“Videos that
will be taken
from space and
then be
broadcast,
either live or
pre-recorded and
put on a weekly
basis on a
website. And
that will then
go to all
schools,” he
told Gulf News.
Groundbreaking
in space
Over the course
of 20 weeks,
students will
follow Al Neyadi
on his
groundbreaking
space journey
aboard the
International
Space Station
(ISS). They will
also hear from
authors, space
experts, and
fellow
astronauts
Hazzaa Al
Mansoori and
Nora Al
Matrooshi as
they discuss the
various
challenges of
working in space
and the
innovations that
help overcome
them.
MBRSC said
episodes will be
released weekly,
with each
episode focusing
on a different
topic to help
students connect
the dots between
what they learn
in class and its
impact on their
lives and the
world around
them. Extra
activities and
resources will
also be
available for
download each
week to keep
students engaged
and propel their
own explorations
of the subject.
DX news
This week's bulletin
was made possible
with information
provided by The
Daily DX, 425 DX
News, DXNL, Contest
Corral from QST and
the ARRL Contest
Calendar and WA7BNM
web sites. Thanks to
all.
MONACO, 3A. Lorenzo,
3A2OG is a new
amateur radio
operator and has
been active while
testing various HF
antennas. He is
interested in using
QRP and in portable
operations. QSL
direct.
GHANA, 9G. Alan,
G3XAQ is QRV as
9G5XA until March
14. Activity is on
the HF bands using
only CW. This
includes being an
entry in the RSGB
Commonwealth
Contest. QSL direct
to home call.
UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES, A6.
Special event
station A60AP is QRV
until August 31 to
commemorate the
Astronaut Program.
Look for special
event stations
A60AP/0 to A60AP/14
to also be active
during the event.
QSL via operators'
instructions.
CAPE VERDE, D4.
Luca, HB9OBD is QRV
as D44KIT from Sal
Island, IOTA AF-086,
until April 5.
Activity is holiday
style on 40, 20, 15,
and 10 meters using
SSB and FT8. QSL via
EB7DX.
COMOROS, D6. Hiro,
JF1OCQ is QRV as
D67AA until March
22. Activity is on
160 to 10 meters
using CW, FT8, and
FT4. QSL direct to
home call.
PHILIPPINES, DU.
Jacek, SP5APW is QRV
as DU1/SP5APW until
March 14 from the
Luzon Coastal
Islands, IOTA
OC-244. Activity is
on 40 to 10 meters
using SSB and FT8.
QSL to home call.
CROZET ISLAND, FT/W.
Thierry, FT8WW will
be QRV from March 13
to 16. Activity will
be on the HF bands.
QSL via F6EXV.
GUERNSEY, GU.
Operators M0UNN and
G4DIY are QRV as
MP7DX until March
13. Activity is on
40 to 10 meters
using CW and SSB.
QSL via G4DIY.
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS,
HC8. Operators
WB2REM, KE2D,
VO1IDX, and K4LT are
QRV as HD8M from
Santa Cruz, IOTA
SA-004, until March
11. Activity is on
160 to 6 meters
using CW, SSB, FT8,
and FT4. QSL direct
to WB2REM.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC,
HI. Members of the
Loma del Toro DX
Club will be QRV as
HI0LT from Isla
Cabras, IOTA NA-122,
from March 12 to 19.
Activity will be on
160 to 2 meters
using CW, SSB, RTTY,
FT8, and FT4. QSL
via EB7DX.
MINAMI TORISHIMA,
JD1. Take, JG8NQJ
will be QRV as
JG8NQJ/JD1 beginning
March 15, and
expects to be here
for two months while
on work assignment.
Activity will be in
his spare time on
the HF bands using
mainly CW with some
FT8. QSL direct to
JA8CJY.
OGASAWARA, JD1.
Stations JD1BOI and
JD1BON are QRV from
Chichijima Island,
IOTA AS-031, until
March 24. Activity
is on 160 to 6
meters using RTTY,
FT8, and FT4. QSL
via LoTW.
SURINAME, PZ.
Harrie, PA3EHS is
QRV as PZ5HS from
Para until March 25.
Activity is on the
HF bands using SSB,
JT6, and FT8. QSL
via PA3EHS.
MALI, TZ. Ulmar,
DK1CE is QRV as
TZ1CE until March
16. Activity is on
the HF bands using
SSB and FT8 in
DXpedition mode. QSL
via DK1CE.
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS,
V4. Pete, G0TLE is
QRV as V4/G0TLE from
St. Kitts, IOTA
NA-104, until March
17. Activity is
holiday style on 40
to 10 meters using
CW and SSB. QSL
direct to home call.
TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS, VP5. John,
N9EAJ is QRV as
VP5/N9EAJ from Grand
Turk, IOTA NA-003,
until March 22.
Activity is on the
HF bands using
mostly SSB with some
CW. He will make a
side trip to the
Columbus Landfall
National Park for a
Parks on The Air
activation. QSL to
home call.
INDIA, VU. Special
event station AT2G20
is QRV from Gurugram
until June 2 to
promote greater
international
cooperation through
amateur radio in
conjunction with the
G20 summit being
held in New Delhi on
September 9 and 10.
QSL via operator's
instructions.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE
RADIO. The Stew
Perry Topband CW
Challenge, North
American RTTY
Sprint, NCCC RTTY
Sprint, QRP 80-Meter
CW Fox Hunt, NCCC
Sprint CW Ladder,
K1USN Slow Speed CW
Test, YB DX RTTY
Contest, SARL Field
Day Contest, RSGB
Commonwealth
Contest, SKCC
Weekend CW
Sprintathon, EA
PSK63 Contest, South
America 10 Meter
Contest, DIG QSO
Party, AGCW QRP CW
Contest, Oklahoma
QSO Party, TESLA
Memorial HF CW
Contest, Idaho QSO
Party, UBA Spring
2-Meter Contest and
the FIRAC HF Contest
are all scheduled
for this upcoming
weekend.
Boeing 747 vs Cessna
THURSDAY
EDITION: I
started to build a
G5RV antenna for the
club months ago and
today would be a
good day to finish
it. we have plenty
of options for 10-20
antennas but in the
tiny lot we own at
the club it is hard
to get a good hf
antenna up for
40-75. A rectangular
loop is about the
only option fed with
ladderline, we shall
see....FYI:
Congrats to the
parents and school
systems today, the
DOD just reported to
congress that 77% of
Americans between
the ages of 17-24
are unfit for
military service.
The rise and fall of
a once great
country. The biggest
problem is obesity
followed by mental
issues, how in hell
can you be fat at
that age?
Imagine telling the
DI you needed a
timeout for anxiety
in boot camp at
Paris Island?....Not
any ham news to post
yet...
In my era it took
an act of God to get
out of the
draft...these fat
shits are
automatially 4F
Why some US
lawmakers want to
ban TikTok
Here’s what the
newly introduced
RESTRICT Act says
about technology,
China, and more.
Yesterday,
lawmakers introduced a
new bipartisan Senate
bill that would
give the US
government the power
to ban TikTok. The
bill is called,
clunkily, the
Restricting the
Emergence of
Security Threats
that Risk
Information and
Communications
Technology, or
RESTRICT Act. It was
introduced in part
by Sen. Mark Warner
of Virginia, who is
also the chair of
the Senate
Intelligence
Committee, and it
would allow the
Commerce Department
to review deals,
software updates,
and data transfers
from apps and tech
companies in which
“foreign
adversaries,”
specifically the
governments of
China, Cuba, Iran,
North Korea, Russia,
and Venezuela, have
an interest.
It’s the latest—and
perhaps the closest
to becoming law—in a long
line of proposals that
look to limit the
potential for the
Chinese Communist
Party (CCP) to exert
influence on TikTok,
and by extension,
its users around the
world.
Both the US and European
Union governments are
considering banning
TikTok, limiting how
it can handle
customer data, and
generally just
increasing the
regulatory burden
it’s under compared
to, say, Facebook or
Instagram. Both entities
have gone
so far as to ban
it on government
staff’s work phones
over espionage
fears. Let’s take a
look at why.
Although TikTok has over
100 million active
monthly users in the
US and at least
10,000 employees across
the US and Europe,
its parent company,
ByteDance, is
headquartered in
Beijing, China. This
has led to some
security concerns as
well as plenty of
bellicose posturing
from US lawmakers
and China-hawks.
The security
concerns come in
part because ByteDance
has bowed down to
the CCP in the
past. For example,
in 2018, its
then-CEO and
founder, Zhang
Yiming, had to issue
a groveling,
self-criticizing
apology after the
CCP compelled it to
shut down one of its
other apps. He
promised to “further
deepen cooperation”
with the
authoritarian
government.
I wonder if some of
our Chinese junk
radios have been
setup for snooping?
WEDNESDAY
EDITION:
Good morning
hamsters....what
piece of gear should
we play with today?
I guess thats the
biggest problem of
the day....So what
is it like to work
at
MFJ manufacturing???
I would prefer to
work for Cobra
Antenna, short work
day and free beer
while you
work.....Archive
editions of
73 magazine to
look back and enjoy
Artist's impression
of CatSat with its
antenna inflated in
orbit around Earth.
To compensate for
any small leaks it
may incur from
encounters with
space debris or
micrometeorites, the
engineers provided
it with enough gas
onboard to
completely refill
the "balloon" 25
times.
Scientists and
engineers at the
University of
Arizona have built
instruments for
three NASA
telescopes, led two
deep space missions
and made it possible
to see farther back
in space and time
than ever before.
Adding to this list
of space exploration
accomplishments is a
different type of
project -- one led
entirely by
students. If
everything goes
according to plan,
the satellite won't
just demonstrate new
space technology; it
will also probe the
ionosphere -- a
layer of charged
particles at the
boundary between the
Earth's atmosphere
and space -- so that
the team can better
understand the
ionosphere's
ever-changing
structure. This
structure impacts
the propagation of
high-frequency radio
signals. On the
opposite end of
CatSat's inflatable
antenna is a "whip"
antenna, about 2
feet long and shaped
like a protruding
stick. It was
designed to receive
low-power,
automated,
high-frequency
beacons from
thousands of
Earthbound amateur
radio enthusiasts.
Radio signals in the
high-frequency range
can bounce off or
refract from the
ionosphere and
travel to
far-reaching
locations by
"bending around the
Earth." Amateur, or
ham, radio takes
advantage of this
charged layer of the
atmosphere to
broadcast
information all
around the globe.
STORY
1990 ad in 73
magazine
TUESDAY
EDITION: I
can smell the roses,
Spring ahead this
weekend....Yes, MFJ
is for sale. No
family members want
to carry on and at
80, Martin wants
out. I doubt it will
sell for 8 million
but I can see
individual companies
being sold such as
Ameritron,
Cushcraft, etc.....I
can't give financial
details but they
sure are
interesting...NASA
can now predict
solar cycles...knife
wielding bulldog
doing his
thing....
HONOLULU
(KHON2) --
As part of the
Amateur Radio on the
International Space
Program, which
promotes STEM
opportunities,
students from Lana'i
High and Elementary
School will talk
with astronauts on
the International
Space Station using
an Amateur Radio on
March 20, at 9:09
a.m. ARISS said that
the school's contact
with the
International Space
Station will happen
using a Telebridge
connection with ham
operator Jan
Poppeliers ON4ISS in
Belgium. The
astronaut to be
interviewed may be
one of the
following: Warren
Hoburg KB3HTZ, Steve
Bowen KI5BKB or
Sultan Al Neyadi
KI5VTV.
ARTICLE
MONDAY
EDITION:
I dug out
an old Kenwood
TS-830S and got it
cleaned up and
brought up slowly
with my variac and
low and behold it is
alive. The power out
is a little low but
I have a new driver
and pair of 6146's
for it. Today's plan
is to replace and
neutralize the
finals and see how
it goes. These
1980's radios were
some of the finest
example of Kenwood's
transmit and receive
audio, I hope to
make a few contacts
and do some
listening. They are
hybrid radios, solid
state receiver and
tube finals......
The radio amateur
who miniaturized the
20th century
W9GTY(SK) is an
acronym, and this
acronym is about our
history. Its
meaning, most
likely, is unknown
to you but we will
be able to find out
shortly. This
breaking latest news begins
in Kansas, an area
where a very young
Jack Kilby, the
actor of our
article, takes his
first steps into
the world of
work. More precisely
in his father’s
company. A local
company whose
mission was:
maintenance services
for other companies.
Jack Kilby and the
first integrated
circuit Bad weather
created damage to
the telephone
network making it
unusable so they had
to use amateur radio
to keep in touch
with their office.
This was the
circumstance that
brought a very young
Jack Kilby closer to
what will be his two
main passions: radio
and electronics.
Later he studied for
his amateur radio
license and the Call
Sign (identification
code) assigned to
him was precisely
W9GTY.
Jack Kilby and the
university Kilby
enrolled at the
University of
Illinois ma he had
to interrupt his
studies due to the
Second World War.
He enlisted and
under the United
States Navy was
stationed in India
and assigned to the
“Transmissions”
department with the
task of maintenance
officer of radio
receivers and
transmitters.
Jack Kilby’s
first work
After the war, his
first real job was
at Centralab, a
small electronics
company located in
Milwaukee, where
Jack made some
inventions. The more
time went by, the
more the awareness
matured in him that
in order to be at
the forefront and to
emerge in the world of
electronics, that
is, in the
development and
improvement of new
electronic
components, such as
the Transistor which
had recently been
invented, he should
have worked in a
bigger company.
FULL STORY
WEEKEND
EDITION;
Waking up with no
snow at 5AM Saturday
morning, that's
better than BC
losing a football
game....Spaceweather.com also
reported that the
average sunspot
number for February
was among the
highest of the last
10 years. Here is
data on Solar Cycle
25 progress:
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression
.....
Radio interference
from satellites is
threatening
astronomy—zone
proposed for testing
new technologies
Radio telescopes are
facing a problem.
All satellites,
whatever their
function, use radio
waves to transmit
information to the
surface of the
Earth. Just as light
pollution can
hide a starry night
sky, radio
transmissions can
swamp out the radio
waves astronomers
use to learn about
black holes, newly
forming stars and
the evolution of
galaxies. We are
three scientists who
work in astronomy and wirelesstechnology.
With tens of
thousands of
satellites expected
to go into orbit in
the coming years and
increasing use on
the ground, the
radio spectrum is
getting crowded.
Radio quiet
zones—regions,
usually located in
remote areas, where
ground-based radio
transmissions are
limited or
prohibited—have
protected radio
astronomy in the
past. As the problem
of radio pollution
continues to grow,
scientists,
engineers and
policymakers will
need to figure out
how everyone can
effectively share
the limited range of
radio frequencies.
One solution that we
have been working on
for the past few
years is to create a
facility where
astronomers and
engineers can
test new
technologies to
prevent radio
interference from
blocking out the
night sky.
FULL STORY
Amateur
Radio Newsline
Report
ISLANDS
RECEIVE RADIO
DONATION FOR
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
NEIL/ANCHOR: An
Australian company's
donation of HF
radios and antennas
is moving amateurs
in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines
closer to the
development of
improved islandwide
HF emergency
response -- an
important element in
an area often
battered by
hurricanes. Graham
Kemp VK4BB brings us
that report.
GRAHAM: When
emergency radio
equipment from
Barrett
Communications
arrived from
Australia on the
14th of February,
the director of the
Rainbow Radio
League/Youlou (YOO
LOO) Radio Movement
noted that the date
was Valentine's Day
and declared the
delivery [quote] "a
gift of love."
[endquote] Donald
DeRiggs, J88CD, said
he was grateful for
the donation - the
third of its kind
provided by Barrett
for emergency use in
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines. The
equipment is not
only a useful way to
bolster
communications
during hurricane
season but a way to
safeguard areas such
as those that were
left vulnerable
during the eruption
of the volcano, La
Soufriere in 2021.
The Australian
company has taken an
active role in
helping the island
communities.
Previous donations
by Barrett were used
to assist the island
of Dominica in the
aftermath of
Hurricane Maria in
2017. Donald said
that as soon as this
new equipment can be
programmed and
deployed there will
be drills in May or
early June to
prepare for the
coming hurricane
season.
The
latest shipment was
transported to
Kingstown from the
air cargo facility
by Leslie Edwards
J88LE. It included
HF radios, portable
solar panels, spare
microphones, a
portable antenna
mast and broadband
dipoles.
This
is Graham Kemp
VK4BB.
(DONALD DE RIGGS,
J88CD)
**
SENSORS ON BOARD ISS
TO STUDY IONOSPHERE
NEIL/ANCHOR: The
US military is
getting ready to do
some intense testing
on the ionosphere,
via the ISS. We have
those details from
Kent Peterson
KCØDGY.
KENT:
Two ionospheric
sensors will be
tested on board the
International Space
Station this spring
in an experiment
designed to
ultimately improve
HF radio
communications for
the US Department of
Defense. The
website, Breaking
Defense, reported
that the sensors are
to be sent to the
ISS in March. The US
military has been
revisiting the
importance of HF
radio as an
alternative to
satellites, having
realized that US
satellites could
become compromised
or destroyed by
enemy attack. HF
bands are already
being used by the
three branches of
the US military for
some long-range
communications.
Andrew Nicholas,
one of the lead
researchers on the
sensor project, told
the Breaking Defense
website that the
sensors will be
measuring
ionospheric particle
density and its
impact on the radio
waves passing
through it.
He said the data
from the tests will
help in the
development of
better ionspheric
monitoring models.
Eventually the
military might even
consider creating
satellites that
would constantly
monitor such
important
ionospheric changes
to assist in the
performance of HF
communication.
This is Kent
Peterson KCØDGY.
(BREAKING
DEFENSE.COM)
** VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED FOR HAMSCI
STUDY OF SOLAR
ECLIPSES
NEIL/ANCHOR: As any
ham knows, signal
reports matter.
Well, they're about
to matter even more
for those radio
enthusiasts who are
participating in a
citizen science
project taking place
during two solar
eclipses, this year
and next year. For
that story, we turn
to our newest
correspondent
Patrick Clark,
K8TAC, who was also
Newsline's Young Ham
of the Year in 2001.
PATRICK: There
will be a little bit
of competition and a
whole lot of
research going on
later this year for
participants in a
QSO party organized
by Ham Radio Science
Citizen
Investigation, or
HamSci. Volunteer
radio operators and
shortwave listeners
will join
researchers at a
number of US
universities
sending, receiving
and recording
signals during the
October 14th solar
eclipse. The data
will be collected
and used for testing
computer models of
the ionosphere to
assess its
variability. This is
the first of two
eclipses over North
America that HamSci
will be studying.
The second one is on
April 8, 2024.
Both Solar
Eclipse QSO Parties
encourage the use of
CW, SSB and digital
modes on 160-6
meters. At the same
time, hams who
operate CW and
digital beacons,
WSPR and FST4W, will
be able to take part
in the Gladstone
Signal Spotting
Challenge.
Registration starts
in July. Organizers
stress the
importance of this
opportunity. As they
say on the project's
website [quote]: "If
we miss the chance
to collect
meaningful data in
2023 and 2024, it
will be decades
before North
American hams and
researchers get
another
opportunity."
[endquote] For
details, visit
hamsci dot org
[hamsci.org]
This is Patrick
Clark K8TAC.
(HAMSCI)
**
SILENT KEY: FORMER
FCC CHIEF ENGINEER
RAY SPENCE, W4QAW
NEIL/ANCHOR: A
noted contester and
DXer who had once
been the chief
engineer for the
Federal
Communications
Commission has
become a Silent Key.
We learn more about
him from Jim Damron
N8TMW.
JIM:
Raymond Spence,
W4QAW, was so
devoted to
contesting and DXing
that a 1984
newspaper interview
with him described
the traffic-stopping
view his collection
of towers provided
to motorists who
would see them from
a nearby highway.
The Washington Post
article noted that
much of the six and
a half acres of
Raymond's property
in Virginia served
him well. Raymond,
who was retired from
the post as chief
engineer for the FCC
in nearby
Washington, DC,
became a Silent Key
on February 18th,
due to heart
failure.
Born
in 1929, he was an
active ham for much
of his life. His
basement radio room
served as his main
contest station and
he was a top
performer in many
major contests. He
is listed on the
DXCC Honor Roll and
was a member of the
National Capitol DX
Association and the
Potomac Valley Radio
Club.
This is
Jim Damron N8TMW.
(WASHINGTON
POST, DX NEWS.COM,
QRZ.COM)
**
HAMVENTION AWARD
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
NEIL/ANCHOR: If
you want to know
who's REALLY looking
forward to
Hamvention this
year, consider this
list of amateurs
who'll be coming to
Dayton to receive
some awards. Paul
Braun WD9GCO has the
details.
PAUL: Hamvention has
announced this
year's award
recipients. I spoke
with awards
committee chair
Michael Kalter,
W8CI, about them.
KALTER: First is
the special
achievement winner,
Dr. Jason McDonald,
N2TPA. He’s just
been instrumental in
promoting
international
friendship and
community through
amateur radio by
forming scouting
clubs in Canada,
Philippines, and
Florida. Right now
there are more than
500 youth in these
clubs that have been
licensed and are on
the air.
KALTER: This year’s
Technical
Achievement Award
goes to Dr. James
Breakall, WA3FET,
and his work’s been
so instrumental in
amateur radio
antenna technology
development for
decades. He’s teamed
with experts in the
field to develop
state-of-the-art
advancements with a
wide range of
applications
including the
Numeric
Electromagnetic
Code, NEC.
KALTER: Amateur of
the Year goes to
Carsten Dauer,
DM9EE. He’s been
active in European
amateur radio
through WRTC and
YOTA for 30 years.
But more recently,
he has spearheaded a
group called
DM9EE-Helping Hands,
a movement to
provide amateur
radio equipment to
war-torn Ukraine by
collecting donations
and delivering them
personally to
communities in
Ukraine.
PAUL: Amateur Radio
Club of the Year
goes to The Delaware
Valley Radio
Association, formed
in 1930 to serve the
Trenton, New Jersey
metropolitan area.
To read more,
visit Hamvention’s
website,
hamvention.org.
Congratulations to
the winners from all
of us at Amateur
Radio Newsline.
**
MAJOR
INDIAN BROADCASTER
HONORS WEST BENGAL
HAM
NEIL/ANCHOR:
Congratulations to
Ambarish Nag Biswas
VU2JFA, secretary of
the West Bengal
Radio Club in India,
who were Newsline's
International
Newsmaker of the
Year for 2019 and
2022. At a recent
ceremony in Kolkata,
he was given the
Ananya Samman award
from Zee News, a
Hindi broadcast
channel that is part
of one of India's
largest media
companies. He told
Newsline this was a
special honor for
him as the first
amateur radio
recipient. The award
is in recognition of
the club's
life-saving work
during cyclones, the
pandemic and in
other areas of
public concern.
Newsline joins him
in celebrating this
achievement.
(YOUTUBE)
**
IN
SEARCH OF 'YOUNG HAM
OF THE YEAR'
NEIL/ANCHOR: We
remind our listeners
that young hams who
live in the
continental United
States have an
opportunity to make
news, if they aren't
already doing so, by
being a recipient of
this year's Amateur
Radio Newsline Bill
Pasternak Memorial
Young Ham of the
Year Award. Consider
nominating an
amateur radio
operator 18 years of
age or younger --
someone who has
talent, promise and
a commitment to the
spirit of ham radio.
Find application
forms on our website
arnewsline.org under
the "YHOTY" tab.
Nominations are now
open and close on
May 31st.
**
BREAK HERE: Time
for you to identify
your station. We are
the Amateur Radio
Newsline, heard on
bulletin stations
around the world
including the WA7ABU
repeater in
Willamette Valley
Oregon on Saturdays
at 6 p.m. local
time.
**
FIRST-TIME
PARTNERSHIP FOR
WORLD AMATEUR RADIO
DAY
NEIL/ANCHOR: The
theme of World
Amateur Radio Day
this year is a
recognition of the
vital role ham radio
has played in a
number of world
crises. John
Williams VK4JJW
tells us what's
planned.
JOHN: In an
unprecedented
partnership, the
International
Amateur Radio Union
is being joined by
the United Nations
Trust Fund for Human
Security and the
World Academy of Art
and Science to mark
World Amateur Radio
Day on the 18th of
April. The
organisations have
declared the theme
of the day to be
Human Security for
All, or HS4A.
The theme arises
out of the partners'
shared belief that
hams have a unique
means to fulfill the
United Nations'
mission of providing
human security for
individuals around
the world. The
campaign the
partnering groups
have launched
together honours ham
radio's proven track
record in responding
to natural
disasters, the
pandemic, climate
change and even
armed conflicts -
the many things that
undermine individual
security without
regard to national
boundaries. This
important concept
was declared a
priority by the
United Nations in
1994.
Ham
radio gains its
advantage as a
responder by
providing technical
knowledge, practical
skills and backup
systems that provide
a security net in
times of crisis.
The IARU, which
has membership
societies in more
than 150 nations
around the world,
made the
announcement on its
webpage for Region
1. A two-week event
will be held on the
air from April 11th
through to the 25th
highlighting the
HS4A campaign for
World Amateur Radio
Day.
This is
John Williams
VK4JJW.
(IARU
REGION 1)
**
PARKS ON THE AIR
INTRODUCES 48-HOUR
CONTEST
NEIL/ANCHOR:
Operating portable
in the park just
gained a little more
of a competitive
edge. Dave Parks
WB8ODF explains.
DAVE: A new
activity being
introduced this June
by the Parks on the
Air organizers is
going to be
different from the
casual portable
outdoor operating
experience
activators and
hunters enjoy. This
is a contest. For 48
hours, hams will
collect contacts and
points as part of
the new Parks on the
Air Plaque Event,
which is intended to
become an annual
competition. In a
YouTube interview
with Kevin Thomas
W1DED, POTA
president Jason
Johnston, W3AAX,
explained the
different categories
available to both
hunters and
activators and
explained that
anyone who made
their first POTA
contact after June
2, 2022, is eligible
for the additional
category of rookie.
Participants must be
registered with POTA
and can use CW, SSB
and the digital
modes. Hams will not
be permitted to use
the WARC bands.
As for
multipliers, there
are none. This keeps
the playing field
level so that
everything - even
multiple reference
areas - will be
worth a single
point.
This
is Dave Parks
WB8ODF.
NEIL/ANCHOR: The
contest will be held
on HF, VHF, UHF and
SHF. For a look at
the rules and other
details for the
event, see the link
in the text version
of this week's
Newsline report at
arnewsline.org
**
LONGTIME 40M NET IN
INDIA AVAILABLE AS
LIVE STREAM
NEIL/ANCHOR: One of
the oldest nets held
among radio amateurs
in India has begun a
live stream. Jim
Meachen ZL2BHF has
those details.
JIM: The origins
of the Belgaum
Hambel Net predate
the internet by
several decades,
when a group of
young shortwave
enthusiasts in the
city of Belgaum
would get together
to study for their
ASOC examination in
the physics lab of a
local college where
Pal, VU2PAL, was a
professor. By 1973,
the group - now
licensed hams - had
grown. In 1973 they
formed the Hambel
Amateur Radio Club.
By 1988, the hams
had agreed to have
regularly scheduled
QSOs with one
another on 7.052.5
MHz - and little by
little the on-air
circle of friends
grew to include
those living outside
the immediate area.
The net was formally
launched by
Professor Pal in
November 1989. He
moved it to 7.050
MHz and gave it a
name - the Hambel
Belgaum Net. He was
also its first and
most active net
control. According
to the club's
website, by the time
he became a Silent
Key in 2016, he had
logged tens of
thousands of QSOs
via the net alone.
The group's
well-established
40-metre net
tradition continues
today from 7 a.m. to
8:45 a.m. Indian
Standard Time, but
the world has
recently begun
listening in. The
net now uses YouTube
to livestream its
check-ins, with net
controllers Bebu,
VU2PNU, Omprakash,
VU2KOC, Joshi,
VU2BRJ, and Yaseen,
VU3PMY.
You
can listen too. See
the link to one of
the more recent nets
in the text version
of this week's
script at
arnewsline.org
This is Jim
Meachen ZL2BHF.
[FOR PRINT, DO
NOT READ:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRw9qluW9WY
]
(HAMBEL NET
WEBSITE, YOUTUBE)
** WORLD OF
DX
In the
World of DX, Phil,
VA3QR, is operating
from Panama
throughout March,
using various call
signs depending upon
his location. Those
call signs include
HP1/VA3QR, HP3/VA3QR
and HP8/VA3QR. He
will be using SSB
and the digital
modes. QSL to his
home call.
Listen for Matt,
ZL4NVW, who will be
activating several
SOTA summits on
Secretary Island off
the Fiordland coast
from the 7th to
the 13th of March.
He will be on 40m
through 10m, SSB
only. Secretary
Island uses the IOTA
designation OC-203
for the South
Coastal Islands of
New Zealand. QSL to
his home call.
Listen for
Robert, OK2PYA,
operating as
EA6/OK2PYA from
various World Wide
Flora & Fauna areas
on Mallorca in the
Balearic Islands,
IOTA EU-004 until
the 7th of March. He
is using CW on 40-10
metres. QSL via Club
Log's OQRS and LoTW.
(425 DX
BULLETIN,
DX-WORLD.NET)
** KICKER:
THE HEIGHT OF
GRATITUDE FOR A
SUMMIT RESCUE
NEIL/ANCHOR: For
our final story, we
visit with a SOTA
activator who is
recovering from
serious injuries
after a fall on a
summit. While he is
healing, he plans to
active a campaign of
gratitude for his
rescuers. Here's
Jeremy Boot G4NJH
with that story.
JEREMY: It was
just a few weeks ago
that Alan 2EØJWA had
hopes of scoring 4
points plus a
3-point winter bonus
for activating the
largest summit in
his immediate area,
G/SP-001 Kinder
Scout in the Peak
District National
Park.
His
goal on that day in
January came
crashing down with
him when he fell on
a piece of black ice
on the well-marked
summit path,
shattering his left
leg. He expects that
after two surgeries,
he will be back on
his feet by mid-May
- perhaps even back
on the air for a
summit by summer.
As he tells
colleagues on the
SOTA Reflector,
however, he might
not be making those
plans at all were it
not for the kind
souls who first
rushed to his aid on
the trail to
stabilise him -- and
then for the welcome
arrival of the
volunteer team he
describes in his
blog as "angels in
red coats," the
Glossop Mountain
Rescue Team. It was
a complicated rescue
but they moved him
safely off the hill
just as snow showers
were threatening to
arrive.
Alan
is now asking others
on the SOTA
Reflector and the
ham community to
help inspire some
kind of special
event or thank-you
gesture for helping
to keep this SOTA
activator alive. To
Alan, the winter
bonus for that
summit truly belongs
to the angels in red
coats.
HAMS YOU
MIGHT KNOW
K1TP-
Jon....Editor of As The World
Turns....
KA1BXB-Don...Regular
on 3900 mornings....just
don't
mention
politics
to
him,
please! WB1ABC-
Ari..Bought an amp and now we
can here him on 75 meters,
worships his wife, obsessed with
Id'ing N1BOW-Phil...Retired
broadcast engineer, confused and
gullible, cheap, only uses
singl ply toilet paper KB1OWO-
Larry...Handsome Fellow
,only cuts lawn in August, plows
snow the rest in Jackman, Maine W1GEK-
Big Mike....Nearfest Cook, big
motor home, electronics software
engineer ... AA1SB-
Neil...Living large traveling
the country with his
girlfriend...loves CW N1YX-
Igor....peddles quality Russian
keys, software engineer K1BGH...Art.....Restores
cars and radio gear, nice fella... N1XW.....Mike-easy
going, Harley riding kind of
guy! K1JEK-Joe...Easy going, can
be found at most ham flea market
...Cobra Antenna builder.. KA1GJU-
Kriss- Tower climbing pilot who
cooks on the side at
Hosstrader's... W1GWU-Bob....one
of the Hosstrader's original
organizers, 75 meter regular,
Tech Wizard!!! K1PV-
Roger....75 meter regular, easy
going guy... W1XER...Scott....easy
going guy, loves to split
cordwood and hunt... KB1VX-
Barry- the picture says it all,
he loves food! KC1BBU-
Bob....the Mud Duck from the
Cape Cod Canal, making a lot of
noise. W1STS- Scott...philosopher,
hat connoisseur,
KB1JXU-
Matthew...75 meter regular...our
token liberal Democrat out of
Florida K1PEK-Steve..Founder
of Davis-RF....my best friend
from high school K9AEN-John...Easy
going ham found at all the ham
fests K1BQT.....Rick....very
talented ham, loves his
politics, has designed gear for
MFJ... W1KQ- Jim- Retired
Air Force
Controller...told quite a few
pilots where to go! N1OOL-Jeff-
The 3936 master plumber and
ragchewer... K1BRS-Bruce-
Computer Tech of 3936...multi
talented kidney stone passing
ham... K1BGH- Arthur, Cape Cod,
construction company/ice cream
shop, hard working man.... W1VAK-
Ed, Cape Cod, lots of experience
in all areas, once was a Jacques
Cousteus body guard.... K1BNH-
Bill- Used to work for a bottled
gas company-we think he has been
around nitrous oxide to long W1HHO- Cal...3941
group K1MPM-
Pete...3941
group WA1JFX-
Russell...3941
group .
SILENT KEYS
Silent Key
N1IOM- 3910 colorful
regular Silent Key
WS1D-
Warren- "Windy" - Bullnet Silent Key
KMIG-Rick....75
Meter Regular....teaches the
future of mankind, it's scary! Silent
Key
Neil
-K1YPM
.....a
true
gentleman Silent Key
K1BXI- John.........Dr.
Linux....fine amateur radio op
....wealth of experience... Silent KeyVA2GJB-
Graham...one of the good 14313
guys back in the day. Silent Key
K1BHV-
David...PITA Silent Key
W1JSH-
Mort...Air Force man Silent Key
K1MAN--Glen....PITA
Silent KeyKB1CJG-"Cobby"-
Low key gent can be found on
many of the 75 meter
nets......... Silent KeyWB1AAZ-
Mike, Antrim, NH, auto parts
truck driver-retired Silent KeyWB1DVD-
Gil....Gilly..Gilmore.....easy
going, computer parts selling,
New England Ham.. Silent Key
W1OKQ-
Jack....3936 Wheeling and
Dealing......keeping the boys on
there toes.... Silent Key
W1TCS-
Terry....75 meter
regular, wealth of electronic
knowledge... Silent Key
WIPNR-
Mack....DXCC Master, worked them
all!.. 3864 regular for many
years... Silent Key
WILIM- Hu....SK at 92... 3864
regular for many years... Silent Key
N1SIE-
Dave....Loves to fly Silent Key:N1WBD-
Big Bob- Tallest ham, at 6'10",
of the 3864 group Silent Key:
W1FSK-Steve....Navy
Pilot, HRO Salesman, has owned
every radio ever built! Silent Key:
W4NTI-Vietnam
Dan....far from easy going cw
and ssb op on 14275/313 Silent Key:K1FUB-Bill-
Loved ham radio....